Control of Cynthiana Wine Attributes Using Ion Exchange on Different Prefermentation Treatments

¹ Department of Food Science
² Institute of Food Science and Engineering, University of Arkansas, 2650 North Young Avenue, Fayetteville, AR 72704.

Email: jumorris{at}uark.edu

Cynthiana (Vitis aestivalis) is a vigorous grape variety that produces a deep-colored and full-bodied red wine. Wine produced from Cynthiana grapes can have both high pH (3.5 to 3.9) and high titratable acidity (8.5 to 12 g/L tartaric acid). Since Cynthiana grapes are used to produce premium wine, different prefermentation treatments (control, ion exchange, tartaric acid addition, sulfuric acid addition) were used in conjunction with ion-exchange systems (no treatment, membrane, resin) to adjust the pH. Although pH was reduced using the different prefermentation treatments, ion exchange of the wine was necessary to lower the pH to an optimum range. Wine pH was lowered from 3.98 to 3.44 using ion exchange in combination with prefermentation treatments. Color and phenolic parameters were measured spectrophotometrically. Ion exchange increased the color density in all prefermentation treatments. Phenolics and red pigment color were not greatly affected by ion exchange and prefermentation treatments. These prefermentation treatments and ion-exchange applications have commercial potential.

Key words: Cynthiana wine, Vitis aestivalis, ion exchange, resins, membranes, prefermentation