Protein haze formation in white wine- The critical involvement of sulfur dioxide in protein aggregation mechanism

Despite the extensive research performed during the last decades, the multifactorial mechanism responsible for white wine protein haze formation is not fully characterized. After testing different metabolites and model wine solutions containing different protein fractions a new model was proposed by this research group which is mainly based on the experimental identification of sulfur dioxide as the non-proteinaceous factor that induces white wine protein haze formation upon heating.

The model was tested in wine model solution (using total and fractionated wine proteins) and validated under real wine conditions.

The results achieved may open the way to develop new techniques not only on fining and stabilization technology but also in new analytical methods to predict the protein haze susceptibility of a wine.

The paper reproduced in this video-seminar was presented at the 11th edition of Enoforum (Zaragoza, Spain, May 31 – June 1 2018). Winner of the SIVE OENOPPIA Awards 2017