Preliminary study of the effects of ultrasound on red wine polyphenols

Abstract

The article evaluates the effect of high-power ultrasound (20 kHz) on the phenolic structure of red wines, to study the possible applications of this innovative technique in wine aging. Different treatment conditions, with times of 1, 3 and 5 minutes and amplitudes of 51, 102 and 153 µm, were applied. In the experimental conditions the main parameters related to the evolution of red wine phenolic compounds show interesting variations; in particular, we found significant differences on tannins evaluated with some indices of tannins reactivity. On the other hand, free anthocyanins do not undergo changes due to ultrasound application. The preliminary results, which definitely need a depth, nonetheless allow us to hypothesize the application of ultrasound technology to accelerate the aging of red wines, which normally requires (needs) long times in the cellar conditions.