Impact of the use of different blends of wood chips from diverse botanical species on quality parameters of white wine from Encruzado variety. A study on the effects of a different kind of wood on a white wine with no contact with lees

Abstract

The aim of this study was to assess the influence of blends of wood from different botanical species in a white wine from Encruzado variety; the botanical species used in this study were French oak (Quercus peatraea), American oak (Quercus alba) and Cherry (Prunus avium) during a 60 days maceration period, with sampling done after 15, 30 and 60 days. The blends were obtained by combining 2 woods species in a ratio of 1:1, obtaining 3 blends; that is, Cherry and American oak (Ch+Am), French and American oak (Fr+Am), and Cherry and American oak (Ch+Am). In addition to these treatments 3 Control treatments were created by adding single wood of Cherry (CCh), American oak (CAm) and French oak (CFr), moreover a treatment without wood was kept (C). The amount of wood used was the same for all the treatments, that is 0,5 g/l. on the different sampling days were run both sensory analysis, by a panel of judges, evaluating aroma and taste parameters, and chemical analysis, that is, total phenols, non flavonoids and flavonoids phenols, color evolution, maderization test and tanning power. At the end of the experiment statistical analysis showed relevant data in almost all the analysis, for the chemical analysis cherry showed the highest level of total phenols and flavonoids, which is reflected also in the blends with other woods, while the French oak and its blends showed significant levels of non flavonoids phenols. The browning potential showed an decrease in wines in contact with wood except for CCh, while tanning power showed an increase in all the wines in contact with wood with the blend of cherry and American being the highest tannicity. In the sensory analysis we can observe how the global appreciation of the wines decrease with increasing maceration period with the wood both for the taste and aroma parameters, with C being the most appreciated wine at the last sampling, while the sampling of 15 and 30 days shows the wine with cherry and with American oak showing the highest values