Understanding polysulfide evolution in wine: insights from accelerated ageing and real-time cellaring in different packaging

TL;DR

This study explores how sulfur compounds in wine change over time and how packaging and additives affect these changes.

Contribution

The study reveals how packaging and additives influence polysulfide evolution in wine during aging.

Findings

Can packaging preserved higher levels of volatile sulfur compounds and glutathione.

Closures with different oxygen transmission rates affected glutathione disulfide accumulation.

Nitrogen gas and copper treatments helped preserve sulfur compounds during accelerated aging.

Abstract

Volatile sulfur compounds (VSCs) and non-volatile biothiols play a crucial role in wine quality. Certain sulfhydryl compounds can react to form odourless polysulfides (RSSnSR′) that potentially contribute to the development of sulfur off-odours during winemaking and storage. This study investigated the evolution of sulfur species in Chardonnay and Shiraz wine during real-time and accelerated ageing in glass bottles with different closures and in aluminium cans. Moderate glutathione (GSH) accumulation was accompanied by disulfide formation, with GSH trisulfide (GS-S-SG), tetrasulfide (GS-S2-SG), and mixed cysteine-GSH tetrasulfide (Cys-S2-SG) displaying compound- and matrix-specific trends. Can packaging maintained higher amounts of VSCs, sulfur dioxide, and GSH, whereas closures with varying oxygen transmission had the most pronounced impact on glutathione disulfide (GS-SG) accumulation. Treatment with nitrogen gas or copper exhibited preservation effects under accelerated ageing. These findings highlight the role of wine packaging on polysulfide chemistry and clarify the effects of pre-bottling strategies for VSC management.

•Polysulfides assessed during real-time cellaring and accelerated ageing of wine.•Correlations observed between polysulfides and volatile sulfur compounds.•Packaging format (bottle or can) modulated sulfur compound temporal profiles.•Adding glutathione and H2S altered sulfur compound evolution especially in red wine.•Treatment with usual wine additives modified the concentration of sulfur compounds.

Polysulfides assessed during real-time cellaring and accelerated ageing of wine.

Correlations observed between polysulfides and volatile sulfur compounds.

Packaging format (bottle or can) modulated sulfur compound temporal profiles.

Adding glutathione and H2S altered sulfur compound evolution especially in red wine.

Treatment with usual wine additives modified the concentration of sulfur compounds.

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