Influence of enzyme maceration and alcoholic fermentation temperature on the terpenes concentration in Muscat wine distillates

Nadezhda Blagoeva, Ivayla Bazhlekova, Hristo Spasov and George Kostov

Abstract: Various factors in grape processing are influencing terpene content in wines and base wine for distillation. The choice of an appropriate regime for Muscat wine distillate production is very important. Flavour perception, olfactory and gustatory, is most often given precedence when assessing the quality of Muscat wines and distillates, as the aroma of Muscat grape varieties is a legitimizing factor of primary importance in terms of quality. In the production of Muscat wines, it is necessary to regulate the temperature of alcoholic fermentation to values of 14-16°С in order to obtain a high quality organoleptic profile. In the present research, in the production of Muscat wine distillate, an alcoholic fermentation regime has been applied without temperature control and in combination with a pectolytic enzyme preparation. The aim is to assess the impact of the proposed regime on the quantity and quality of the terpenes in the obtained distillates compared to low-temperature fermentation regime. The following have been found: accelerated extraction of bound terpenes in base wine without regulating the fermentation temperature and in combination with a pectolytic enzyme preparation; increased concentration of monoterpenes in Muscat distillates by 40 and 79% under accelerated extraction conditions. Practical applications: this study contributes to choose an appropriate regime for production of high quality Muscat wine distillate.

Keywords: enzyme maceration; fermentation temperature; free and bound terpenes; Muscat distillates; Muscat Ottonel

Date published: 2020-10-20