Profiles of free amino acids in grapes of grafted Chardonnay grapevines

Abstract

Chardonnay grapes from a rootstock trial in the Murray Valley region of South Australia were sampled for two seasons and concentrations of free amino acids in grape extract (‘juice’) were determined. The lowest concentrations of free assimilable amino-N were measured in Chardonnay grapes from vines on 140 Ruggeri and 101–14 rootstocks, and the highest concentrations were in grapes from vines on their own roots, Schwarzmann and K51–40. Free assimilable amino-N concentrations were sufficient to sustain fermentation through to completion. Arginine concentrations were generally too low to expect significant concentrations of urea in the wine. Amino-S concentrations were much lower and varied less than amino-N concentrations. The effect of any particular rootstock on the concentration of total free amino acids in Chardonnay grape ‘juice’ did not appear to be related to the known effects of those rootstocks on the NO3-N status of petioles at flowering. The concentrations of leucine, iso-leucine, valine, threonine, tyrosine and phenylalanine were generally higher in Chardonnay grapes grafted onto K51–40 in comparison to grapes from Chardonnay vines grafted on the other rootstocks. Any of these amino acids may be associated with the presence of specific higher alcohols in wine.