Supercritical CO2 extraction applied toward the production of a functional beverage from wine

Supercritical CO2 extraction has been proved to be a potential tool in the recovery of aroma compounds from different natural sources and in the removal of ethanol from aqueous solutions. In this work, both ideas are combined to develop a two-step process toward the production of a low-alcohol beverage from wine, but maintaining the aroma and the antioxidant activity similar to that of the original wine.First, the recovery of aroma from wine was attained in a countercurrent packed column (white and red wines were investigated) using very low CO2/wine ratios. Then, the aroma-free wine recovered from the bottom of the extraction column was dealcoholized by applying different extraction conditions.The results obtained from these studies permit the design of a two-step countercurrent CO2 extraction process at 9.5 MPa and 313 K, in which the different CO2/wine ratios employed in each step lead to the recovery of aroma or the removal of ethanol. The two-step process was applied to rose wine and the low-alcohol beverage obtained proved to have similar antioxidant activity and similar aroma profile to that of the original wine.

Graphical abstractFigure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slideHighlights► We produce a low-alcohol beverage from wine based on a supercritical process. ► The countercurrent-SFE process is a two-step process. ► First, recovery of aroma using very low CO2/wine ratios. ► Second, dealcoholization of the aroma-free wine. ► Beverage obtained have similar antioxidant activities and aroma to that original wine.