Effect of grape storage time on biogenic amines content in must

The presence of amines in wine can produce a negative impact on the aroma of the product and, in some cases, detrimental health effects. Several factors affect the content of amines in wine, among those, the presence of biogenic amines in must. The aim of this work was to value the effect of three storage times of grapes (0, 24 and 48 h), in the winery, and the effect on the concentration of biogenic amines in musts derived from three white grape cultivars Chardonnay, Riesling and Sauvignon blanc. The determination of biogenic amines in must was carried out by HPLC with fluorimetric detector. In musts from sterilised grapes, only ethanolamine, ethylamine, putrescine, and tyramine (only for Chardonnay) were found: besides these abovementioned amines, in musts from non-sterilised grapes which were stored in the winery before crushing, cadaverine, tyramine and agmatine were also found. The individual and total amine contents of the must are significantly influenced by the time of grape storage in the winery. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.