micro-oxygenation in contemporary winemaking - Cape Wine ...

Micro-oxygenation in Contemporary Winemakingsubsequent barrel maturation (Cano-Lopez et al., 2007) so that the final impact oftreatment was reduced.Wine flavonols (quercetin, myricetin etc – see Table 12) have been consistently reduced bymicro-oxygenation treatment in all of the studies that have measured these compounds(Castellari et al., 2000; Sartini et al., 2007; de Beer et al., 2008; Kovacevic Ganic et al.,2008). This is of some concern because flavonols are an important contributor to wineanti-oxidant capacity (Parker et al., 2007).The impact of micro-oxygenation on tannin polymerisation (as measured by the MDP) isalso mixed. Atanasova et al (2002) and del Carmen-Laudy et al (2006) found an increasein MDP whereas Pour-Nikfardjam & Dykes (2003) showed a decrease in MDP relative tocontrols. Cano-Lopez et al (2008) measured an increase in MDP in one wine that startedwith a lower phenolic concentration (perhaps suggesting over-treatment with oxygen) but adecreased MDP in wines that were initially more tannic.Although, most studies demonstrated a decrease in total phenolic or monomeric tannins,there is no consistent evidence on the actual impact of MOX on astringency and mouthfeel.The chemistry of astringency is complex (Gawel, 1998; Francis et al., 2002), and althoughageing promotes tannin polymerisation this may well increase rather than decreaseastringency (Vidal et al., 2003; Gawel et al., 2007).7.4.3 Impact on Aroma CompoundsMcCord’s research in 2003 suggested that micro-oxygenation decreased sulphidereductive flavours (mercaptans) but this has not been confirmed in subsequent studies.Two recent studies measured a large number of aroma compounds in wines treated withMOX (Ortega-Herás et al., 2008; Hernández-Orte et al., 2009) but found no consistentincrease in fruitiness or decrease in green herbaceous flavours, which are key claims of theindustry. Also, both studies demonstrated that treated wines take up less wood compoundson subsequent barrel maturation (Table 19).7.4.4 Impact on Wine Anti-oxidant ActivityThe decrease in total phenols produced by micro-oxygenation would be expected todecrease total anti-oxidant activity. This may have implications for the claimed healthbenefits of red wine. To date only two studies has evaluated this directly (de Beer et al.,2008; Rivero-Pérez et al., 2008). De Beer et al (2008) found that wine total anti-oxidant64