Modelling of the gas–liquid partitioning of aroma compounds during wine alcoholic fermentation and prediction of aroma losses

Abstract

A model was elaborated to quantify the gas–liquid partitioning of four of the most important volatile compounds produced during winemaking fermentations, namely isobutanol, ethyl acetate, isoamyl acetate and ethyl hexanoate. Analyses of constant rate fermentations demonstrated that the partitioning was not influenced by the CO2 production rate and was a function of only the must composition and the temperature. The parameters of the model were identified in fermentations run at different temperatures, including anisothermal conditions. The prediction of the partition coefficient (ki) by the model was very accurate for isobutanol, isoamyl acetate and ethyl hexanoate. The technological potential of the model was confirmed by using it to calculate the losses of volatiles in the gas phase during fermentation and comparing them with experimental data. Up to 70% of the produced volatile compounds were lost. The difference between observed losses and losses estimated from predicted ki values never exceeded 3%.