Interactions between protein fining agents and proanthocyanidins in white wine

A comparative fining trial was conducted in a laboratory scale to study the influence of protein fining agents on proanthocyanidins, colour and browning potential of white wine. The monomeric flavanols were significantly depleted by casein, and gelatine with low molecular weight (MW) distribution, and isinglass obtained from fish swim bladder (MW > 94.0, containing some bands in the range 94.0–43.0 and at 20.1 kDa). However, the other gelatines and isinglass with a MW polydispersion below 20.1 kDa did not interact significantly (P < 0.05) with these compounds. In contrast, the oligomeric compounds were not decreased by swim bladder isinglass. It was also observed that neither of the isinglasses decreased the polymeric flavanols significantly (P < 0.05). Although casein and potassium caseinate had similar MW distributions and isoelectric points, potassium caseinate decreased the polymeric flavanols, whereas casein did decrease monomeric, oligomeric and polymeric flavanols significantly (P < 0.05). The degree of polymerisation of polymeric proanthocyanidins that remained in the fined wine decreased significantly (P < 0.05) after addition of protein fining agents except when potassium caseinate was used. Casein, potassium caseinate and swim bladder isinglass induced a significant (P < 0.05) decrease in wine colour (A420nm), a decrease in browning potential and a decrease in turbidity.