Accelerated oxidative aging tests for white wines: First correlation between physico-chemical and sensory oxidation...

Area of Science:

• Enology and Viticulture
• Food Chemistry
• Sensory Science

Background:

• Oxidative stability is crucial for white wine's sensory quality and shelf life.
• Accelerated aging methods are needed to predict and manage wine oxidation.
• Existing methods like ultrasonic irradiation may not accurately reflect natural aging processes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate accelerated oxidative aging methods for white wine.
• To develop a protocol that aligns sensory oxidation with physicochemical markers.
• To establish a reliable method for grading oxidation and comparing wine stability.

Main Methods:

• Two accelerated aging approaches were tested: ultrasonic irradiation and hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) addition.
• Oxidation was assessed using colorimetric (CIELAB), antioxidant (DPPH), and sensory (REDOX, RATA) analyses.
• The H₂O₂ protocol was applied to multiple Chardonnay wine samples.

Main Results:

• Ultrasonic irradiation failed to reproduce natural oxidative evolution and caused off-flavors.
• Controlled H₂O₂ addition induced oxidation consistent with natural aging, validated by multiple analytical techniques.
• Wine matrix influenced the oxidation response; however, sensory scores strongly correlated with antioxidant capacity and browning (ΔE).

Conclusions:

• Controlled H₂O₂ addition provides a robust and rapid method for inducing and grading wine oxidation.
• This H₂O₂-based protocol links sensory profiles to key physicochemical markers (antioxidant capacity, color).
• The method enables effective comparison of oxidative stability across different white wines.