The influence of commercial tannin additions on wine composition and quality

Thesis (MScAgric (Viticulture and Oenology))--University of Stellenbosch, 2006.The quality of wine is influenced by numerous factors of which the grapes, winemaking techniques and effective quality control are to name a few. The use of new techniques should be cost effective and always have a positive influence on the wine quality. The addition of commercial tannins to wine is a fairly new technique and the effects of these additions at the concentrations prescribed have not been investigated in detail. The commercial tannins can be added to wine for different reasons, which may include: stabilisation of colour, increasing the aging potential, to modify aromas, promote precipitation of proteins, limit the effect of laccase activity, substrate for micro-oxygenation, to act as a redox buffer and structural and mouth feel modification. The reason for the addition determines the type of commercial tannin that is used, the timing of the addition and the dosage used