Highlighting protein fining residues in a model red wine
Résumé
Many studies have dealt with fining treatments, focusing on their impact on phenolic precipitation or sensory
properties of the treated wines. Previous articles suggested the presence of soluble complexes with tannins and
fining proteins, and probably wine polysaccharides too. However, no study has quantified these possible protein
residues in wine. The analyses performed on a model red wine to highlight the residual fining proteins were the
measurement of viscosity, the quantification of amino acid/proteins of the samples and the radioactivity of the
supernatants obtained after fining with a radioactive protein. This work has clearly shown, both qualitatively
and quantitatively, the presence of fining residues in a model red wine that had been fined with a gelatin and two
hydrolyzed plant proteins. These results have significant implications, yet to be confirmed with commercial
fining agents and ‘real’ wines for allergen residues in treated wines.