Physicochemical and sensory characteristics of red wines from the rediscovered autochthonous Tintilia grapevine grown in the Molise region (Italy)

Abstract

Tintilia is an autochthonous grapevine of the Italian Molise region which risked to disappear. However, recently, the production of Tintilia red wines is resuming and in the year 2011 the protected designation origin ‘Tintilia del Molise’ was officially registered. In this work, an analytical characterization of representative red wines from Tintilia grape is reported. A total of 36 different physicochemical variables were determined and discussed, considering those with an estimated coefficient of variation <25 % as more characterizing. These were found to be (mean): density (0.9949); dry extract (34.4 g L⁻¹) and ashes (3.8 g L⁻¹); ethyl alcohol (14.2 mL 100 mL⁻¹), glycerol (9.2 g L⁻¹) and total higher alcohols (1.7 g L⁻¹); pH (3.65); the titratable (5.9 g L⁻¹), fixed (5.4 g L⁻¹), and salified (2.5 g L⁻¹) acidity; buffering capacity (52.6 mM/L/pH); total phenols (2,341 mg mL⁻¹); total flavonols (223 mg mL⁻¹) and epicathechin (75.0 mg mL⁻¹); %Red (49.1 %) and %Yellow (43.6 %). Sensory analysis was also performed by professional wine tasters. Finally, the Tintilia results were compared with those of Montepulciano wines. Findings of this analytical study describe the Tintilia red wine as a full-bodied wine; alcoholic; with feeble, but stable acidic profile; rich of phenols, especially flavonols; and finally, with a color balanced between red and yellow pigments.