Use of polyaspartate as inhibitor of tartaric precipitations in wines

Food Chem. 2015 Oct 15:185:1-6. doi: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2015.03.099. Epub 2015 Mar 28.

Abstract

All additives used to stabilize wines against the precipitations of potassium bitartrate have some limits: metatartaric acid (MTA) is effective but very unstable, carboxymethylcellulose is stable and effective in white wines but affects color stability in red wines, mannoproteins have a variable effectiveness depending on wine composition. This work was aimed at testing the effect of new stabilizing products on tartaric precipitations, focusing on the use of Na and K polyaspartate salts (PASPs). The effectiveness of 4 different PASPs and 1 MTA added to red and white wines was compared using the mini-contact test and cold test. The dose effect and the stability of the products over time were also studied. The PASPs showed a similar stabilizing effect and a longer stability over time compared to MTA. PASPs can be considered interesting as additives for wine tartaric stabilization. Further work is in progress to better characterize their enological properties.

Keywords: Metatartaric acid; Polyaspartate; Sustainability; Tartaric stability.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aspartic Acid / analysis
  • Carboxymethylcellulose Sodium / chemistry
  • Chemical Phenomena
  • Color
  • Food Handling
  • Food Preservatives / chemistry*
  • Hydrogen-Ion Concentration
  • Membrane Glycoproteins / chemistry
  • Molecular Weight
  • Peptides / chemistry*
  • Wine / analysis*

Substances

  • Food Preservatives
  • Membrane Glycoproteins
  • Peptides
  • mannoproteins
  • polyaspartate
  • Aspartic Acid
  • Carboxymethylcellulose Sodium