Effects of high hydrostatic pressure processing on the physicochemical and sensorial properties of a red wine

The influence of high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) processing on the physicochemical and sensorial properties of Nero D'avola Syrah red wine from the vintage of 2010 was investigated in the present study. Wines were treated at 650 MPa for 0.25, 0.5, 1 and 2 h, respectively. HHP processing at mentioned conditions significantly (p<0.05) affected the chromatic characteristics and the phenolic composition of Nero D'avola Syrah red wine. The color intensity of wine decreased from 8.44 to 8.01 after 2-h treatment and the tint of wine increased slightly. In the meantime, HHP led to the reduction of the contents of total phenolics, total anthocyanins, tartaric esters, flavonols and tannins in wines. Furthermore, the evolution of several wine physicochemical parameters during pressurization, such as color intensity, total phenolics, total anthocyanins, etc., was found to follow the Weibull model (R-2>0.90). On the other hand, sensory analysis indicated that UHF processing for 2 h significantly reduced the intensities of sour and fruity odor of wine. Moreover, despite that the influence of HHP on the gustatory attributes of wine was not statistically significant (p >= 0.05), the intensities of sour, astringent, alcoholic and bitter tastes all increased slightly. Industrial relevance: High hydrostatic pressure (HHP) processing is an efficient tool to inactivate undesired microorganisms in wine. In the meantime, this research paper provides scientific evidence that HHP at 650 MPa for 2 h can also affect the physicochemical and sensorial properties of wine. From a wine aging point of view, HHP can be potentially used to change the equilibrium of chemical reactions in wine and modify the organoleptic properties of wine rapidly, thus accelerating the wine aging process. Regarding the traditional oak barrel aging technology, it has several drawbacks, including a long time required for aging, a high cost of wood barrels, a large area occupied by barrels in the winery, potential microbiological contamination, limited barrel life and a storage loss due to evaporation. Therefore, the application of HHP for wine aging can benefit the winemaking industry in these mentioned aspects. On the other hand, the utilization of HHP processing is recommended to commence with the aging of wines with low aging potential. In addition, the cost of the HHP equipment should also be taken into account in its application. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.