Influence of cation exchange resin-treated thermovinified red wines on the oxidative stability and colour of rosé sparkling wines produced by blending

Abstract

This study investigates the effect of using cation exchange resins in a red wine obtained by flash détente thermovinification on the oxidative stability of red wines and rosé sparkling wines obtained by blending the resin-treated red wine with white wine. The results show that reducing the pH of thermovinified red wines by cation exchange improves their oxidative stability and increases the intensity of the red colour, although it reduces the concentration of total anthocyanins. The analysis of metals in the wines indicates a general reduction of cations with the use of resins, which may contribute to the oxidative stability of the wines. In addition, rosé sparkling wines produced from these lower pH red wines showed greater oxidative stability over 6 months and in a forced oxidation test. These results have significant implications for the wine industry, offering new strategies to improve the production of rosé sparkling wines, which are increasingly appreciated by the market.

Introduction

Thermovinification is a pre-fermentation technique in which heat is applied to the must, resulting in a juice with an intense colour due to the rapid release of phenolic compounds from the skin into the juice (Ribéreau‐Gayon et al., 2021). An improvement of this technique is known as flash release or “flash détente”, where after a rapid temperature rise (around 85 °C), the must is transferred to a cooling system in a vacuum chamber, where the temperature drops rapidly, resulting in an even faster and more intense extraction and diffusion of compounds from the skins into the juice (Morata, 2019). Compared to traditional red wine vinification with skin maceration, both thermovinification techniques extract a lower amount of tannins during pressing and separation of the solids occurs immediately after treatment (Jackson, 2020). This is due to an increased extraction rate of proanthocyanidins in the presence of ethanol formed during fermentation, which makes the solution more non-polar and facilitates tannin extraction, together with the longer contact time with the solids during maceration in traditional vinification (Cerpa-Calderón and Kennedy, 2008; Hernández-Jiménez et al., 2012; Morata, 2019). This low extraction of tannins can be seen as a disadvantage, for example, a red wine intended for ageing. However, in the production of sparkling wines, it can be considered an excellent condition, since excess tannins increase the astringency sensation (Ma et al., 2014), which can be considered unfavourable for the palatability of the sparkling wine.

Alicante Bouschet (petit Bouschet × Grenache), obtained through controlled crossing, is considered a teinturier variety, being one of the few grape varieties with red pulp (Ribéreau‐Gayon et al., 2021). Therefore, it is generally a grape variety that is widely used in blends to add colour to wines (Revilla et al., 2016). In addition, it is a variety with a complex phenolic composition, where the concentration of malvidin derivatives dominates in the skin of the berry, followed by peonidin-type anthocyanins. In the pulp of the berry there is a higher concentration of peonidin-3-O-monoglucoside, and red wines made from these grapes have a phenolic composition close to that of mixtures of skin and pulp anthocyanins (Muñoz et al., 2009). These colour characteristics of the Alicante Bouschet variety make it a very interesting candidate for thermovinification (flash détente), since this heat treatment and subsequent pressure change have a significant effect on the cellular structure of the grape, making it possible to obtain wines with high anthocyanin content (Jackson, 2020). As a result, the volume of wine required to achieve the desired colour in blends is reduced. However, thermovinification can lead to the enrichment of the must with cations derived from the skins, which can increase the pH of the wine (Morata, 2019). Therefore, the use of cationic resins becomes interesting in this type of wine, as they can remove excess cations, lower the pH and increase the red colour intensity of anthocyanins (Ribéreau‐Gayon et al., 2021).

Colour plays a fundamental role in rosé wines (Peres et al., 2020), where most of these products are bottled in transparent bottles. Although this type of packaging is visually appealing and serves as a marketing strategy, it can increase wine oxidation and affect the colour stability of rosé wines (Lan et al., 2021; Medina-Plaza et al., 2024). Rosé wine production can be achieved by various methods, such as obtaining a rosé must by direct pressing of red grapes, short maceration of red grapes, saignée from a traditional red wine vinification, and blending red wines with white wines (Ribéreau‐Gayon et al., 2021; Togores, 2018). Depending on the legislation of the country or the rules of the appellations of origin, there may be a requirement or prohibition of a specific method (Meloni et al., 2019). Rosé sparkling wines are usually made from rosé wines obtained by direct pressing of red grapes or by brief maceration on the skins followed by pressing, or from blends of white and red wines (Jackson, 2020). In addition, if the region of production permits, a small amount of red wine can be added to the expedition liqueur to give the products a more vibrant and younger colour at the time of corking. This is a form of colour correction, as many anthocyanins are adsorbed by dead yeasts during fermentation (Echeverrigaray et al., 2020).

Several studies have been carried out on the use of resins in wines in the last century (Esau and Amerine, 1966; Mcgarvey et al., 1958), and in recent decades several studies have been carried out on cationic resins as a way of acidifying wines (Payan et al., 2023). Some have dealt with the use of resins in the production of musts, white wines, and sparkling wines (Benítez et al., 2002; Cisilotto et al., 2019; Cisilotto et al., 2020; Just-Borràs et al., 2022; Mira et al., 2006), red wine (Ibeas et al., 2015; Lasanta et al., 2013; Mislata et al., 2021; Walker et al., 2002), studies on resin interactions with cations in wines (Ponce et al., 2018), among others (Ling et al., 2024; Martínez-Pérez et al., 2020; Tamasi et al., 2018). However, no study to date has focused on the use of cation exchange resins in thermovinified wine and their use in blends to produce rosé sparkling wine. Red wine with a higher pH not only has a less intense colour and is more prone to oxidation (Forino et al., 2020), increases the risk of microbial contamination of stored wine (Ribéreau‐Gayon et al., 2021). Considering the reality of many wineries, where wines intended exclusively for blending are often stored for long periods and used in small quantities for the production of both red and rosé sparkling wines in tirage liqueur or expedition liqueur, this pH reduction could improve the stability of red wine and possibly alter the characteristics of rosé sparkling wines obtained by blending white and red wines. For this reason, in this study, we propose to test whether the use of cation exchange resin in a thermovinified (flash détente) Alicante Bouschet red wine modifies the characteristics related to the colour of the red wine and the subsequent colour stability of rosé sparkling wines obtained by blending red wine with white sparkling wine.