Innovative and sustainable oenological solutions to raise acidity and control microbial threats while maintaining sensory characteristics and color

Two research presentations, one from Australia in collaboration with the University of Bordeaux, and one from Italy, propose interesting and sustainable oenological solutions to combat the lack of acidity in wines and microbial threats.

Ana Hranilovic, from the University of Adelaide, is the winner of the special prize awarded by Oenoppia in the Enoforum Web Contest. She conducted the research titled “All acids are equal, but some are more equal than others: (Bio) acidification of wines”, with her co-authors Marina Bely, Isabelle Masneuf-Pomarede, Warren Albertin and Vladimir Zhiranek.

Insufficient acidity in grapes from hot climates is usually corrected by the addition of tartaric acid during winemaking, and less commonly by the addition of other organic acids In the video available at the bottom of the article, an alternative approach is presented that involves bio-acidification with some strains of Lachancea thermotolerans through the production of lactic acid during fermentation.

The results provided take into consideration the composition of wines, not only in terms of acidity and ethanol, but also of total anthocyanins and sensory descriptors, comparing the classical methods with different ways of using Lachancea thermotolerans.

Antonio Castro Marin, from the University of Bologna, talks about the “Impact of the treatment with chitosan on the chemical-physical characteristics of Sangiovese wine”.

Chitosan is gaining interest in red wine making due to its ability to inhibit the development of Brettanomyces yeast, or other unwanted microbial threats to wine.

However, its influence on the chemical-physical parameters of red wines is still poorly understood. This study, carried out in collaboration with Professor Chinnici, analyzes the impact of two modes of chitosan administration on the color, sensory profile and composition of 4-ethylphenol and guaiacol.