EDUARDO CESARRefined test: anthocyanin content differentiates varieties of wine EDUARDO CESAR
A study of anthocyanins, which supplements isotope analyses, may make it harder to falsify wines and grape juice. Anthocyanins are the pigments responsible for the gamut of colors seen in fruit, flowers, and leaves. Ranging in hue from red-orange to blue, these pigments, and pigmented tannins, lend red wine its burgundy shade. Karina Fraige and Emanuel Carrilho, of the University of São Paulo (USP), and Edenir Pereira-Filho, of the Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar), used liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry to assess the levels of 20 anthocyanins in three varieties of wine grapes (Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot) plus one hybrid derived from two species (Maximo), which were picked at vineyards in the states of São Paulo, Bahia, and Rio Grande do Sul. They found that total anthocyanin concentrations can vary according to geographic origin, type of grape, and year of harvest (Food Chemistry, Feb. 2014). Differences can even be seen within one same variety: the Cabernet Sauvignon grapes grown in Bento Gonçalves, Rio Grande do Sul, present a slightly higher concentration than those raised in São Carlos, in the state of São Paulo. The most remarkable finding was that the anthocyanin content of the Maximo hybrid was about ten times higher than that of other cultivars. The skin of Maximo grapes, a variety that is grown more abundantly in Brazil, is redder than that of other types, enhancing its potential for use in the manufacture of juices especially high in antioxidants.
Republish