Effects of Microvibrations and Their Damping on the Evolution of Pinot Noir Wine during Bottle Storage

Abstract

Environmental conditions such as vibrations, temperature, and exposure to light can lower the quality of bottled wine, causing great economic and image losses for wineries. Even under optimal storage conditions, environmental microvibrations can be a constant source of energy transfer to the stored bottles, and little is known about their effects over time. In this study, the effects of microvibrations on a fine Pinot noir wine were evaluated over a storage period of one year under controlled conditions and compared with those obtained using natural magnetic levitation as a damping technique to reduce the power transmitted by the vibrations. The wines were subjected to the treatments according to the following experimental set-up: (A) wines not exposed to microvibrations, but to natural magnetic levitation; (B) wines placed on a shelf in contact with the floor, and exposed to microvibrations; (C) controls, a shelf in direct contact with the floor, without the application of microvibrations; (D) wines on a shelf with natural magnetic levitation and exposed to microvibrations. Phenolic and volatile compounds were not significantly different between treatments, which is in line with the reduced energy stress applied. In contrast, the storage time significantly influenced these chemical profiles. Through the sensory analysis performed after 0 and 12 months of storage, it was possible to distinguish the wines, as the overall quality improved, especially for the microvibration-treated samples. After 12 months of storage: (a) the overall sensory quality improved for all wines compared to the samples at T0; (b) the damping of microvibrations reduced the rate of wine evolution; (c) treatment with microvibration up to 6 months was useful for improving the quality of wine not yet ready for the market. Therefore, modulation of wine evolution can be achieved by applying a combination of microvibrations and their damping, depending on the enological objective.