If the mouthfeel is rounder, wine evaluation goes up. Wine’s structure is perceived by wine tasters and consumers as a key marker of quality, helping their brain to rank the wine. If the body is light, it may be perceived as a cheap, easy-to-drink wine. If the mouthfeel is rounder and richer, the wine is perceived as being from a higher category within premium and ultra premium segments.
This makes mouthfeel improvement a key objective in winemaking. Fortunately, Chr. Hansen has a series of VINIFLORA® products that help reveal and preserve components that have a high importance in mouthfeel sensation. All these solutions are Natural and have been selected in grape juices, musts and wines.
Grape sugars conversion into polysaccharides with PRELUDE™
Chr. Hansen’s strain of Torulaspora delbrueckii PRELUDE™ has been selected for its ability to produce polysaccharides in musts while initiating the alcoholic fermentation.
Lactic-acid production within the must from CONCERTO™
Chr. Hansen’s selected strain of Kluyveromyces thermotolerans has the ability to partly convert sugars into lactic acid. This property is ideal for red and rosé wines coming from warm climate regions, as it increases wine’s total acidity, refreshing it. Aside from this additional freshness, lactic acid also gives a rounder mouthfeel to the wine.
Malic acid conversion into lactic acid with CINE™
- CINE™ is an exclusive strain of Oenococcus oeni selected by Chr. Hansen for its ability to achieve malolactic fermentation without producing diacetyl and some other compounds responsible for the buttery and creamy flavors traditionally associated with malolactic fermentation.
- CINE™ is the ideal tool to achieve malolactic fermentation in wines that normally don’t go through this fermentation step, i.e., most of the rosé and the white wines. Once MLF is achieved, malic acid is converted into lactic acid, which gives wine a richer body and a better mouthfeel without affecting the taste.
- This malolactic fermentation in rosé or white wine also preserves wine’s initial freshness, contrary to common thoughts within the wine industry. We have several examples of white and rosé wines made with CINE™ to demonstrate this statement.
Contact Chr. Hansen’s Wine Team if you want to know more about how to naturally improve mouthfeel in wines.
