Darko Andronikov

The effects of the duration of cold maceration on the composition and sensory properties of Smederevka wines

Although the composition of the grapes depends on its variety, the soil and climatic conditions, there is little variation in the actual cell structure of the plant. The control of maceration or skin contact conditions is vital for obtaining high quality white wines. In practice, a classical the maceration at the temperature of 20-25 °C and a cold maceration at 5-10 °C are commonly used. The aim of this work was to investigate the changes in the composition and sensory properties of Smederevka wines obtained with different cold skin contact times at 8 °C, during 12 and 24 hours. A chemical analysis wines includes basic chemical compounds, organic acids, total phenols and higher alcohols. A sensory analysis of the wines by 100 points method was carried out. The results showed a significant increase in the dry extract, ash, total phenol and a decrease in tartaric acid and a higher alcohol content in Smederevka wines obtained by 12 or 24 hours cold maceration period. These results indicate that cold maceration positively influences the quality of Smederevka wines. The best organoleptic quality of Smederevka wines was obtained by cold maceration at 8 °C during 24 hours.