Ascorbic Acid Effects on the Post-Disgorgement Oxidative Stability of Sparkling Wine

¹ Enologist, Hermannhof Winery, 330 E. First St., Hermann, MO 65041
² Department of Food Science, University of Arkansas, 272 Young Avenue, Fayetteville, AR 72703.

Post-disgorgement oxidative changes in bottle-fermented sparkling wines produced from Vitis vinifera and hybrid wine grape cultivars were examined with ascorbic acid and sulfur dioxide treatments added at disgorgement. Wines were stored 11 months at 21°C before analysis. Acetaldehyde was highest and browning was lowest in the sulfur dioxide treatments. Ascorbic acid after the storage period was 52% to 70% of the original amount added. Increasing SO₂, when ascorbic acid was used, had little effect on ascorbic acid stability. When SO₂ was used, there was no benefit from including ascorbic acid. Ascorbic acid treatments reduced browning over the controls in two of the six cultivars. An accelerated storage test showed that the ascorbic acid treatments had the highest potential for browning if exposed to high levels of oxygen and increased temperature.

Key words: oxidation, ascorbic acid, sparkling wine

Submitted on July 17, 1991