Innovative solutions for designing a flavored red wine assortment

Mariana-Atena Poiana, Ioana-Madalina Iusan, Florina Radu, Daniela Stoin, Delia Gabriela Dumbrava, Despina-Maria Bordean, Diana Moigradean

Volume 30, Issue 4;
Pages: 374-379; 2024
ISSN: 2069-0053 (print), Agroprint;
ISSN (online): 2068-9551

Abstract

The creation of aromatized wines, defined as special wines enriched with flavoring additives such as herbs, spices, fruits and other natural flavors, has gained increasing interest nowadays. The aim of this study is to present some technological solutions for the design and development of a Bitter type flavored red wine assortment with particular characteristics, namely, alcohol content 20% vol., sugar 120 g/L and total acidity 3.0 g/L H2SO4. Bitter is an aperitif wine made from white or red wine with the addition of sugar, 96% (v/v) food grade ethanol and natural essences of plants and fruits. Compositionally, Bitter differs from Vermouth in that it has a higher alcohol degree and lower acidity. The production of Bitter involved two main stages: the preparation of the base wine and the secondary ingredients (sugar syrup, hydroalcoholic macerate, citric acid solution) and the technological blending. The macerate represents 2% (v/v) of the flavored wine. The obtained flavored wine assortment was investigated in terms of quality indices, total phenolic content and antioxidant activity. The techniques accessed for the production of Bitter type flavored wine are recommended for expanding the range of flavored wines with predefined quality characteristics and enhanced functionality. Obtaining aromatized wines may trigger further investigations to exploit the potential of macerates to add value by providing natural flavors and bioactive compounds.