Pairing Red Wine and Closure: New Achievements from Short-to-Medium Storage Time Assays

Area of Science:

• Oenology and Viticulture
• Analytical Chemistry
• Food Science

Background:

• Wine's physicochemical and sensory properties are shaped by vineyard practices, winemaking, and post-bottling conditions.
• Bottle position, closure type, storage temperature, and duration are critical factors influencing wine evolution.
• Understanding these factors is key to preserving wine quality and identity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of different wine closures on red wine's chemical and sensory evolution over time.
• To compare the effectiveness of natural cork, micro-agglomerated cork, and screw caps in preserving wine characteristics.
• To identify analytical methods sensitive to closure-induced changes in bottled wine.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of red wines stored for 0.5 and 3 years under different closures (natural cork, micro-agglomerated cork, screw cap).
• Comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC × GC-ToFMS) for volatile compounds.
• Ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-diode array detection-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-DAD-MSn) for phenolic profiling.
• Measurement of general physicochemical parameters and oxygen transfer rate (OTR) of closures.
• Sensory analysis by a trained panel.

Main Results:

• Closure type significantly influenced the internal bottle environment, affecting wine's chemical and sensory profiles.
• Volatile compound profiling via GC × GC-ToFMS proved highly sensitive in detecting closure-driven differences.
• Phenolic profiles and physicochemical parameters also showed variations attributed to closure type and storage duration.
• Sensory attributes were subtly modulated by the wine-closure interaction over time.

Conclusions:

• The choice of wine closure is a critical factor influencing the long-term evolution and identity of red wines.
• Combining multiple analytical techniques, particularly volatile compound analysis, is essential for discerning subtle closure-induced changes.
• Closure-modulated differences become more pronounced with extended storage, offering a valuable tool for winemakers to shape wine characteristics.
• This research underscores the importance of the wine-closure pairing in oenological practices.