Influence of Maceration Enzyme Treatment on the Colour and Volatile Profile of Two Red Romanian Wines

The effect of the addition of an extraction enzyme during the maceration stage of red wines made of two Romanian varieties was investigated in order to identify technological variants with positive results on the colour and volatile profile of the wines. Samples of grapes of the two varieties, harvested in four different viticultural regions, were vinified by classical red wine technology, except that the maceration-fermentation process was carried out both with and without the addition of extraction enzyme. The evolution of colour during maceration was monitored by determining the CIELAB parameters spectrophotometrically, while the differences in volatile profiles were evaluated by use of a dual-column gas-chromatograph working on the principle of an electronic nose. The study showed that the two varieties responded differently to the addition of the enzyme. The Babeasca neagra variety, which has a lower content of red pigments, benefited from the enzyme addition and showed an improvement of colour as a result of the enzymic treatment, while the volatile profile of the wine was not significantly modified. In case of Feteasca neagra the enzyme clearly affected the volatile profile, while the colour evolution during maceration and the CIELAB parameters did not display important modifications.