Enzyme study on wine color yields first fruit

- Fall 1995 "Update" Newsletter Article -

Enzyme study on wine color yields first fruit

From CATI Publication #961001
Copyright © 1995. All rights reserved.
Scientists at the Viticulture and Enology Research Center (VERC) have gleaned positive initial results in a study of enzyme preparations used to intensify color in wine.

Research associate Katherine Haight and chemistry professor Barry Gump used existing commercial enzyme products but in greater amounts to determine their effectiveness in extracting and stabilizing color in red wine.

Winemakers in the United States have used a variety of commercial enzyme preparations over the years to extract color from the skins and other grape tissues during initial phases of wine-making. But federal laws in the United States have restricted use of certain effective preparations that are used in most other countries of the world, and which in fact are used in the U.S. in the juice concentrate industry.

In an effort to develop more effective methods for color extraction in wine, Gump and Haight used four commercial enzyme preparations typically used in here wine and juice making, and increased their dosage rates in experimental wine lots.

"Preliminary results demonstrated significantly increased color in bottled wines over the time period studied," Haight stated in a written report that will be published this month by the California Agricultural Technology Institute.

The report is titled, "A Preliminary Study of Industrial Enzyme Preparations for Color Extraction Stability in Red Wines." Single copies will be available at no charge and can be requested by contacting CATI.

Gump and Haight are continuing their research in this area with support from CATI, and plan to present more results as they become available.

For more information, contact one of the following:
Katherine Haight
Viticulture and Enology Research Center
California State University, Fresno
(559) 278-2089
E-mail: katieh@zimmer.csufresno.edu

or

Steve Olson, Publications Editor
California Agricultural Technology Institute
California State University, Fresno
(559) 278-5680
E-mail: steveo@zimmer.csufresno.edu

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