Effect of white wine composition on protein haze potential

Abstract

Background and Aims Haze formation in white wine is caused by protein aggregation and can be influenced by many other wine components. This study investigated the impact of wine matrix composition on haze formation in 60 white wines to assess the feasibility of predicting haze by measuring selected wine components. Methods and Results Sixteen wine matrix components previously shown to influence wine haze in model and reconstitution studies were analysed in a range of white wines and compared to the amount of haze formed in a heat test. Protein concentration and electrical conductivity were the only components that significantly (P < 0.05) correlated with haze formation (positive and negative correlations, respectively). Partial least squares and multiple linear regression analyses, however, indicated that this correlation (R2 = 0.54, standard error in cross validation = 9.00, residual predictive deviation (RPD) = 1.44) was not sufficient to use as a model for predicting haze formation. Conclusions Protein concentration and electrical conductivity are the key influencing factors of haze formation in white wines, although multiple other components are likely to also contribute to the amount of haze produced. Significance of the Study Predicting haze potential in wine is achieved more effectively by inducing a haze than by measuring individual wine components.