The Role and Application of Redox Potential in Wine Technology

Abstract

In wine technology, the on-line measurement of redox potential is a fast, accurate, and reliable measurement that provides insight into the metabolism of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, its microbial activity, and the oxidation and reduction state of wine, as well as insight into its quality and stability. The significance of the redox potential measurement and control in wine technology as well as the maintenance and regulation of fermentation redox potential using temperature and carbon dioxide fluxes are discussed. Redox potential levels from Eh 100 to 180 mV are typical for non-oxidized wine that is bottling-ready, while levels of Eh 270 to 460 mV represent oxidized wines with typical failures. The relevance of redox potential measurement during the 2-year maturation of Blau Fränkisch wine in 225 L oak barrels at six levels at a temperature 15 °C is presented. The measurement of the redox potential, expressing heterogeneity in redox layers during wine maturation in oak barrels, is represented in various oxido-reductive fermentation zones. On the contrary, the end of the maturation process is indicated by the homogeneity of redox zones, where the matured wine shows no differences in redox measurement on all levels. Using redox potential as a key scale-up criteria ensures comparable and reproducible amounts of the final product even in geometrically non-similar fermenter systems.