Effect of a cold-active pectinolytic system on colour development of Malbec red wines elaborated at low temperature.

MARÍA C. MARTÍN; VILMA I. MORATA DE AMBROSINI

International Journal of Food Science & Technology

Wiley-Blackwell

Lugar: Oxford; Año: 2014 vol. 49 p. 1893 - 1901

1365-2621

The effect of a new cold-active pectinolytic system on colour of Malbec wines was studied under the following winemaking conditions: 1) fermentation at low temperature (20 ºC), and 2) pre-fermentative cold maceration (PCM) (5 ºC-7 days) followed by traditional fermentation (28 ºC). The pectinolytic system was mainly composed of polymethylgalacturonase (3,775 U g-1) and pectinlyase (2,716 U g-1 ) activities, detected under similar conditions to those in winemaking (pH 3.6-20 ºC). The results show that the enzyme system significantly accelerated colour extraction by reducing the maceration time necessary for vinification at low temperature and shortening the PCM stage. Enzyme-treated wines exhibited better chromatic parameters than their controls at devatting and after 6 months of storage. The cold-active enzyme compensated the decrease in colour extraction due to the low maceration temperature, achieving wines with chromatic characteristics similar to those of traditional wines, but with potentiallybetter organoleptic properties.