Relazione tra maturazione del vino e uso dell'aerazione controllata in macerazione

Red wine maturation is the vinification phase which modifies the chromatic map and it is characterized by the condensed polyphenolic compounds that stabilize the colour and soften the taste. The wine sensory characters improve, becoming rich of the aging aroma compounds. The colour evolution during red wine conservation is due to a gradual modification of the polyphenolic compounds that are involved in different mechanisms of association and combination between anthocyans and proanthocyanidins. These modifications are influenced by the conservation conditions and by the young wine composition depending on the grape and on the technologies applied in winemaking. The use of the controlled aeration during pumping-over in maceration showed a positive influence on the wine colour and aroma. The present work points out some results concerning the effects of the aeration use during maceration on the evolution of the chromatic map during wine aging. In all the trials the total anthocyans and the copigmented forms decrease in relation to the air amount supplied in maceration; the red polymeric pigments and the condensed tannin fraction increase mainly in the aerated trials. The values of absorbance at 620 nm and at 420 nm are higher in the wines obtained with a higher level of aeration in maceration.