Effect of vibration and storage on some physico-chemical properties of a commercial red wine

The effect of vibration on some physico-chemical characteristics of a commercial red wine was studied. Wines were aged under four different vibration degrees (1, 5, 10, and 20 Gal) for 18 months. The pH of the wine was 3.4 before storage, and it did not change significantly during storage. The total acidity of the wine ranged from 5.8 to 6.5 g/L during the storage. The total acidity increased slightly with aging up to 9 months, and this increase was more substantial at the highest vibration level (20 Gal) than at the other, lower vibration levels. The amounts of tartaric and succinic acids and tannins decreased during storage. On the other hand, refractive index increased during the first 3 months and thereafter it remained constant. The changes in organic acids, tannins, and refractive index were more accelerated when the wine was stored at higher levels of vibration than at lower levels of vibration. The propanol and isoamyl alcohol contents were higher in the wine stored at low levels of vibration. (c) 2008 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.