Relationship between nitrogen content in grapes and volatiles, namely heavy sulphur compounds, in wines

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2011

Authors

Moreira, N (Author) Other; de Pinho, PG (Author) FFUP; Santos, C (Author) Other; Vasconcelos, I (Author) Other

Journal

Title: Food Chemistry

Vol. 126 No. 3

Pages: 1599-1607

ISSN: 0308-8146

Publisher: Elsevier

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 34 Citations

Scopus - 35 Citations

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-002-QG2

DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2010.12.030

Abstract (EN): Ammonium salts were added to white grape musts, before alcoholic fermentation, in order to evaluate their influence on the heavy sulphur compound and aliphatic higher alcohol composition of resulting wines. Six grape musts were used (Trajadura, Pederna, Loureiro, Azal Branco, Avesso and Alvarinho). Ammonium supplementation of Trajadura and Pederna grape musts, with the highest nitrogen level, did not influence the content of heavy sulphur compounds and aliphatic higher alcohols in wines; however, the addition of ammonium salts to grape musts with low initial nitrogen content, such as Loureiro, Azal Branco and Avesso, led to a higher production of 1-propanol and a lower production of isoamyl alcohols and sulphur compounds, e.g. S-methyl thioacetate, 2-mercaptoethanol, acetic acid-3-(methylthio)propyl ester, 3-mercapto-1-propanol, 4-(methylthio)-1-butanol, 3-(ethylthio)-1-propanol, 3-methylthiopropionic acid and N-3-(methylthiopropyl)acetamide. For Alvarinho grape must, a decrease in sulphur compound concentrations in wines was only observed for 3-methylthiopropionic acid, acetic acid-3-(methylthio)propyl ester and 2-mercaptoethanol.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 9