Acceptability of wine produced with an increased content of grape seeds and stems as a functional food

Abstract

Owing to a globally increased interest in the relationship between nutrition and health, the development of new functional food products is gaining more importance. The aim of this research was to evaluate the quality and acceptability of a wine produced with increased amounts of grape seeds and stems as a functional beverage. Sensory properties of the wines produced were evaluated and the market potential of this product was estimated through a survey carried out among wine consumers in Novi Sad, Serbia. It was shown that addition of enhanced amounts of grape seeds in the pomace had a greater influence on the phenolic composition and antioxidant capacity towards DPPH and hydroxyl radicals than supplementation with stems. Flavan-3-ols and their monomers [(+)-catechin and (-)-epicatechin], as predominant phenolic compounds extracted from grape seeds, showed a high positive correlation with antioxidant activity (r≥0.950). Based on the best relationship between phenolic composition and sensory acceptability, the addition of 80g seeds per kilogram of pomace has been suggested as the most acceptable quantity. The survey showed the necessity for promoting the health-beneficial effects of catechins through various channels, despite the high percentage of respondents (68%) who were willing to pay up to two times more for this functionally enhanced wine. The major obstacle to the official acceptance of this wine as a functional beverage in Serbia is the insufficiently examined question of the effect of moderate alcohol intake on health. © 2014 The Institute of Brewing & Distilling.