Preliminary Investigation of Deacidification Methods and Carbonic Maceration of French Hybrid Wines

Abstract

Four chemical methods of deacidification investigated to reduce the acidity of wine by 0.3% were Acidex, calcium carbonate, potassium carbonate, and a 50:50 combination of the carbonates. Carbonic maceration was included for comparison. These five methods were chosen because they are reasonably easy for small wineries to use. Wine prepared by a standard vinification technique from each variety was divided into four 6-gallon lots for each of the four chemical methods. Seyve-Villard 12375 was available in limited quantities, so only the Acidex and the 50:50 combination methods were used.

The sensory properties of these wines were ranked for aroma/bouquet and taste/flavor by three groups of tasters over a two-year period.

Included in the evaluations for comparison were commercial French hybrid wines obtainable locally. The three groups of tasters found very few statistically significant differences among the experimental and commercial wines. Differences found by one group of tasters were not confirmed by the other two groups.