Effect of fining on the colour and pigment composition of young red wines

• Fining influence colour and composition of red wines.
• Different fining agents had different incidence on colour of wines.
• Bentonite had negative impact on the anthocyanin contents and wine colour.
• Gelatin decreased significantly tannins concentrations.
• Wine polyphenol composition is an indicator for a better choice of the fining agent.

This work aimed to evaluate the effect of four fining agents on the colour and pigment composition of red wines of Tannat. The wines were analysed 15 days after fining and immediately after separation of sediments and bottling. Colour was evaluated by spectrophotometry and polyphenols were analysed by spectrophotometry and HPLC–DAD. The colour intensity of wine was significantly decreased by bentonite and egg albumin. The most remarkable effects on wine phenolic composition were produced by bentonite and gelatin, which significantly decreased anthocyanin and tannin concentrations, respectively. Results show that each fining agent has very different impact on the wine attributes, and their effects depended as well on the composition of the clarified wine. The use of non-traditional agents of fining, as vegetable proteins, may have less impact on the colour and anthocyanin content of red wines.