Changes in chromatic characteristics and phenolic composition during winemaking and shelf-life of two type of red sweet sparkling wines

The Brachetto variety is the most important aromatic red grape used for the production of sweet sparkling wines in Italy. The phenolic composition and chromatic characteristics were studied in base and red sweet sparkling wines made from this variety. The present work represents the first study on sparkling wines manufactured with Brachetto grapes. The amount of pigments extracted in the base wine was low as a consequence of the necessity for short maceration time (48 h) and low alcohol content (< 3.5 % v/v). The second fermentation (prise de mousse) caused a pigment content decrease, accompanied by both a color intensity decrease and a tonality increase. In terms of phenolic compounds and chromatic characteristics, lightly sparkling wines (final bottle pressure < 1.7 bar) agreed with fully sparkling wines (final bottle pressure > 3.0 bar) at the end of the second fermentation and, therefore, the chromatic quality was independent on the winemaking methodology used, excepting for lightness and color intensity. Response surface methodology was applied to predict the effect of two independent variables, namely time and temperature of storing, on the phenolic composition and chromatic properties in both lightly and fully sparkling wines. So, it is possible to evaluate the development of two types of sweet sparkling wines during their ageing in bottle and their commercial shelf-life. A central composite design (CCD) and response surface methodology (RSM) were used for this purpose. Quantitative changes were observed in the color parameters. Although the time variable influenced strongly them, the two sparkling wines were stable enough only at low temperatures after 12 months of ageing. During the wine ageing in bottle, an increase in the formation of polymeric red pigments can be suggested taking into account the losses observed in monomeric anthocyanins. The results obtained showed that the color of fully sparkling wines was more stable than that of lightly ones and, therefore, the shelf-life of the former ones could be longer.