CORRELATIONS BETWEEN TOTAL PROTEIN AND SPARKLING WINE FOAM PARAMETERS

Abstract

Foam is a crucial factor in the perception of sparkling wine quality. Empirical data suggest that sparkling wines produced from grapes other than Vitis vinifera show greater foam height but this factor has received limited research attention. Marquette, Cayuga, and Chardonnay grapes were used to produce traditional method and still wine products. Still wines were treated with bentonite additions of 0.1 g/L , 0.3 g/L, and 0.5 g/L to create a range of protein concentration. Foam maximum volume, foam 50% collapse time, total protein, and malic acid were measured in all wines. Total protein had no significant impact on any foam parameters when traditional method and force-carbonated base wines were assessed together, but total protein had a significant effect on foam maximum volume in bentonite-treated wines, and foam stability showed a significant interaction between cultivar and total protein. Aspartic acid concentration had a negative correlation with foam volume.