Identification of Some Foam-Active Compounds in Champagne Base Wines

¹ Laboratoire d'Oenologie Faculté des sciences de Reims Moulin de la Housse, BP 347, 51062 Reims, France.

An original method of analyzing the foam-active compounds in Champagne base wine was used, by extraction of a foam wine; after the collection of foam (by constant artificial effervescence), which collapsed into a foam wine, we analyzed the latter comparatively with the remainder wine (which remained after the extraction of the foam) and with the initial base wine. The foaming properties of these three samples were compared. The contribution of proteins, polysaccharides, and iron in the foam constitution was proven to be important, whereas organic acids, total acidity, total nitrogen, calcium, potassium, magnesium, and sodium had no significant effect on the foam. The evolution of the concentration of proteins during the extraction of foam was followed; it appeared that proteins were eluted preferentially in the first fractions of foam.

Key words: foam, sparkling wine, foam-active compounds, proteins, polysaccharides, iron

Submitted on May 21, 1990