PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - Cecilia Díaz AU - V. Felipe Laurie AU - Ana María Molina AU - Mark Bücking AU - Rainer Fischer TI - Characterization of Selected Organic and Mineral Components of Qvevri Wines AID - 10.5344/ajev.2013.13027 DP - 2013 Aug 01 TA - American Journal of Enology and Viticulture PG - ajev.2013.13027 4099 - http://www.ajevonline.org/content/early/2013/07/26/ajev.2013.13027.short 4100 - http://www.ajevonline.org/content/early/2013/07/26/ajev.2013.13027.full AB - The organic and mineral components of 20 qvevri wines from selected wineries throughout Europe were evaluated to gain insight into one of the oldest known methods of wine production. The pH, residual glucose, titratable acidity, specific organic acids (acetic, lactic, malic and tartaric acids), phenolics (total phenolics and anthocyanins in red wines), total antioxidants, and selected minerals (phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, manganese, potassium and zinc) of the samples were measured. The data were also compared with previously reported values for conventional wines. Qvevri wines were less acidic than conventional wines, containing higher levels of acetic and lactic acids but lower levels of tartaric acid. They also contained higher levels of antioxidants and total phenolics, the latter being up to 10 times more abundant in the white wine varieties than in conventional wines. Despite fermentation in clay vessels, the mineral content of qvevri wines was within the normal reported range, although the levels of phosphorus were slightly higher. This is one of only a few studies that have considered the compositional nature of qvevri wines.