OverviewofBerryMaturationand

Ripening

AnitaOberholster
PhotoscourtesyofProf.P.Goussard

Introduction
Compositionalchangesduringripening
Sugars
Organicacids
Minerals
Aromacompounds
Influencewinestyleandquality
Moreimportantforwhitevarieties

Phenoliccompounds
Majorcontributortotasteandquality
Moreimportantforredvarieties

Grapes seeds,skins,pulp

Berrygrowthphases

Berrygrowthphases

GrapeBerryRipening
Duringmaturationbothphysicaland
chemicalchanges
1st growthphase
Accumulationofminerals,aminoacids,
micronutrientsandaromacompounds
(methoxypyrazines)
Accumulationofcompoundswithmaxaround
vraison
Tartaricandmalicacid
Hydroxycinnamic acids
Tannins

PhenolsingrapesVitis vinifera

Benzoic acids

Gallicacid

Nonflavonoids
Cinnamic acids

Phenols

Monomers

Ex.catechin

Oligomers

Proanthocya
nidins

Flavan3ols

Flavonoids

Anthocyaningluc

Flavonols

Ex.Malv3gluc

Proanthocyanidins

Extensionunits

Terminalunit

GrapeBerryRipening
Duringmaturationbothphysicaland
chemicalchanges
Veraison
Marksbeginningofripening
Berrysoftening
Cellwalldeterioration
Cellularmultiplicationsandenlargementwithout
proportionalincreasesinparietalpolyosides (cement)

Changesinskincolor
Startofanthocyanin(redcolor)accumulation
Translucentskininwhitevarieties

GrapeBerryRipening
Veraison
Marksbeginningofripening
Sugaraccumulation
Rapidincreaseinglucoseandfructose

Organicaciddecline
Rapiddecreaseinmostlytartaricand
malicacid
Slowertartaricthanmalicaciddecrease

GrapeBerryRipening
Thestudyofberrycompositional
changesduringmaturationisdifficult
duetoextremeberryvariability
However,ingeneral:
Skins(820%ofberryweight)
Containssignificantamountsof:
Phenolics (benzoicacids,cinnamic acids,
flavanols,tannins,flavonols,anthocyanins)
Secondarymetabolitesofsugarcatabolism,
shikimic acidpathway

Biosynthesis ofplantphenolics

Biosynthesisofplantphenolics

Biosynthesisofplantphenolics
From shikimic acid
Pathway
via phenylalanine
3
4

From malonic pathway

HO

O
8a

1
6

A
6

4a
5

OH

The three-carbon
bridge

OH

GrapeBerryRipening
Skinphenolics
Flavonol synthesizestartsatfloweringand
12weeksafterveraison untilripe
Anthocyanins increasefromvraison until
ripe
Inoverripeness anthocyanins maydecreasedue
todegradationofthegrapeskin

Skintanninconc increaseuntilapprox.2
weeksafterveraison,thenconstant
Postveraison mDP increase

GrapeBerryRipening
Skins(820%ofberryweight)
Containssignificantamountsof:
Aromaticsubstances
Boundandfreemonoterpenoids increase
fromveraison withmaturation
Somedecreasewithoverripening
Monoterpenes (fruity,floral)
Muscat,Gewrtztraminer

citronellol

GrapeBerryRipening
Skins(820%ofberryweight)
Containssignificantamountsof:
Aromaticsubstances
Carotenoidsinskinsdecreasewith
maturationwithincreasewithcarotenoid
derivedsuchasnorisoprenoids
Damascenone (apple,rose,honey)
Vitispirane (greenodor ofchrysan
themum,floweryfruitynote)

GrapeBerryRipening
Skins(820%ofberryweight)
Containssignificantamountsof:
Aromaticsubstances
Methoxypyrazines highconc inunripe
grapes
Decreasewithmaturation(lightandtemp)
Highestconc foundincoldestmaturation
conditions
Methoxypyrazines (vegetative,herbaceous,bell
pepperorearthyaroma)
2 isobutylmethoxypyrazine (IBMP),3
butylmethoxypyrazine,3
isopropylmethoxypyraxine

GrapeBerryRipening
Pulp(7585%ofberryweight)
Containssignificantamountsof:
Cellwalls(<1%)
Sugars(fructoseandsucrose,0.9ratio)
Acids(tartaric,malicandcitricacid)
Cations (K,Ca,Mg,Na,Fe)
Aminoacids(proline,arginine,theanine,
glutamicacid)2025%totN2content
Aromacompounds(alcohols,aldehydes,esters)

GrapeBerryRipening
Pulp:
Duringmaturation
Decreasein[organicacids]
K+ increasewithsugarduringmaturation
N2 increasefromberrysetuntilmidmaturity

GrapeBerryRipening
Seeds(0 6%ofweight)
Withmaturationincreasein[phenol]and
[tannin]
Reachmaximumbeforeveraison
Postveraison mDP oftannindecrease
Postveraison seeddryingandbrowning
Postveraison tannincovalentlybondedto
lignifiedcelllayers

Seedcolorchart

Ristic andIland (2005)Austr.J.GrapeWineRes.(11)43.

Differencesbetweenseedandskin
tannins
Ingeneralinthewholeberry:mDP decrease,
tannin(mg/berry)decrease

Skintannin
mDP 30
Littleepicatechingallate
Containsepigallocatechin

Seedtannin
mDP 10
Containsmoreepicatgallate units
Noepigallo units
Prieur etal. (1994)Phytochem.36,781784.
Souquet etal.(1996) Phytochem 43,(2),509512.

Sensoryattributesofskinandseed
flavonoids
Onlyflavan3olsabovethresholdlevel
Flavan3olsarebitterandastringent
Ratioofbitternesstoastringencyishighest
formonomers
Bothbitternessandastringencyincrease
withincreaseindegreeofpolymerization
(DP)
Increasedcoarsenessanddryingwith
increasedgalloylation
Presenceofepigallocat lowercoarse
perception
Gawel etal.(1998)Austr.J.Grape Wine Res.(6)74.
Noble(1988)Wine Analysis.Mod.Methods PlatAnal.NewSer.(6)SpringerVerlag.Berlin,Heidelberg.928.
Vidaletal.(2003)J.Sci .FoodAgric.(83)564.

GrapeBerryRipening

Berrymaturationandoptimal
ripeness
Definitionofmaturityvaries
Optimalripenesscanbedefinedasthe
optimalberrycompositionforyourwine
style
Winestylelimitedbyterroir
Sugar/acidbalanceinpulp
Seedsnotbrown?
Skinphenolandaromaconcentrationand
compositionoptimalforwinestyle

Inredwine:quality color
Color sugar
Vidaletal.(2003)J.Sci .FoodAgric.(83)564.

Conclusion
Informationiskeytofigureoutwhatis
happeninginthevineyard
Newtoolstoaidharvestdetermination
forspecificwinestyle
Needtocalibrateanytooltoyour
specificterroir

Questions?