Enhancing the color and astringency of red wines through white grape seeds addition: Repurposing wine production byproducts

Abstract

The clear juice fermentation technique for white wines suggests that white grape seeds, rich in flavan-3-ols and proanthocyanidins, are not effectively utilized in the winemaking process. This study incorporated ‘Gewürztraminer’ grape seeds into ‘Cabernet Sauvignon’ must before cold soak to investigate how the resultant red wines' phenolic compound profiles, color, and astringency were affected. The results showed that adding seeds primarily inhibited the leaching of flavan-3-ols from both skins and seeds. A significant increase in the levels of flavan-3-ols, tannins, and phenolic acids, as well as direct and aldehyde-bridged flavan-3-ol-anthocyanin polymers, were observed in the wines with additional seeds. This led to the improvement in the wine’ red hue and its resistance to SO2 bleaching. Furthermore, the wine added with seeds exhibited stronger astringency compared to those without. The findings provide a promising winemaking strategy to improve color stability and intensify the astringency of red wines through the utilization of grape seeds.