Abstract:
Organic acids represent naturally occurring compounds that are found in many types of
food and beverages, with important functions in defining products’ final quality. Their proportions
in wine are dependent on grape composition and winemaking conditions (temperature, pH levels,
oxygen, and carbon dioxide concentration). Therefore, this article studied the influence of different
fermentation conditions (200 hL tanks vs. 50 L glass demijohns) and various yeasts on the evolution
of the main organic acids during alcoholic fermentation of “Aligoté” wines. The fermentation
lasted 22 days and samples were collected daily. Laboratory analyses were quantified according
to the International Organization of Vine and Wine recommendations. High-performance liquid
chromatography for the identification and quantification of organic acids was used. The data showed
the important effect of winemaking conditions on sugar consumption, density or acidity values, and
sensory characteristics. Significant differences in organic acid concentrations (especially for tartaric
acid) were obtained for all variants, depending on the fermentation conditions, inoculated yeast and
the sampling moment. The quantities of most of the identified organic acids were generally significantly
increased when glass vessels were used, compared to those fermented in tanks. Most organic
acids concentrations were favored by lower pH and showed higher values at lower temperatures.
