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Production technologies for reduced alcoholic wines
Leigh M Schmidtke1, John W Blackman, Samson O Agboola
1National Wine and Grape Industry Centre, School of Agricultural and Wine Sciences, Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga, NSW 2678, Australia. lschmidtke@csu.edu.au
Journal of Food Science
|January 21, 2012
Summary
Winemakers face challenges reducing wine alcohol content. This review covers technical merits of nonthermal methods and yeast strain selection for lower ethanol wines, improving consumer acceptance.
Area of Science:
- Enology
- Food Science
- Biotechnology
Background:
- Reducing ethanol concentration in wine presents technical and marketing challenges.
- Existing methods for alcohol reduction, including thermal distillation, often result in unfavorable consumer perception of sensory quality.
- Consumer dissatisfaction with current alcohol reduction techniques drives interest in alternative nonthermal processes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review and assess the technical merits of various wine production strategies for reducing ethanol concentration.
- To guide winemakers in selecting appropriate novel techniques for lower alcohol wine production.
- To address consumer perception challenges associated with alcohol-reduced wines.
Main Methods:
- Review of pre- and post-fermentation technologies for alcohol reduction in wine.
- Analysis of patented engineering solutions and wine production strategies.
- Evaluation of nonthermal production processes and yeast strain development for modified alcohol production.
- Assessment of consumer perception regarding sensory quality of alcohol-reduced wines.
Main Results:
- Several engineering solutions and wine production strategies exist for lowering ethanol in wine.
- Thermal distillation for alcohol removal negatively impacts consumer perception of wine sensory quality.
- Nonthermal production processes and specific yeast strains are gaining attention for alcohol reduction.
Conclusions:
- Winemakers can utilize this review to evaluate technical merits of different alcohol reduction technologies.
- Informed decisions can be made regarding the implementation of novel winemaking techniques for reduced ethanol wines.
- Focusing on nonthermal methods and yeast selection may improve consumer acceptance of lower alcohol wines.
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