CELL 79 |
| Tannins are essential for astringency, mouth-feel and colour stability of red wine. Furthermore there is frequent speculation that wine tannins are closely correlated to red wine quality and that tannin measures could be used to improve wine style and quality specifications in the future. Commonly asked questions explore whether it is the tannin concentration or tannin composition that matters the most. Many methods for tannin quantification have been published, but very few have been implemented in the wine industry, most likely due to their complexity and lack of specificity. Examples from recent research will be used to explore the measurement of grape and wine tannins by HPLC, UV/Vis/NIR spectroscopy and, above all, precipitation techniques. An optimised assay will be presented that allows for direct spectral measurement of tannin at 280 nm without the need for indirect colorimetric detection. The suitability of such a tannin measure as a routine technique, its potential for implementation in wineries, its benefits/drawbacks compared to other techniques and findings from its application will be discussed. |
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Fifth Tannins Conference
1:00 PM-4:00 PM, Monday, 11 September 2006 Palace -- Sea Cliff Room, Oral
Division of Cellulose & Renewable Materials |