Quality assessment of partially dealcoholized and dealcoholized red, rosé, and white wines: physicochemical, color, volatile, and sensory insights

The global non-alcoholic wine market is projected to grow from USD 2.7 billion in 2024 to USD 6.97 billion by 2034, driven by health awareness, lifestyle shifts, and religious factors [1-3]. Consequently, the removal of alcohol can significantly alter the key quality parameters of wine. This study examines the effects of dealcoholization on key wine quality characteristics, including physicochemical parameters, color profile, volatile component composition, and sensory attributes. The study was conducted on three wine types: Merlot red wine (vinified in a 220 L oak barrel for 7 months, 13.15% v/v), Pinot Noir rosé wine (vinified in stainless steel, 12.92% v/v), and Riesling white wine (vinified in stainless steel, 13.13% v/v), all from the 2022 vintage. For each samples two replicated were done. Vacuum evaporation was used to produce both partially dealcoholized (6% v/v) and dealcoholized (<0.5% v/v) wine. Immediately after dealcoholization, the wines were bottled using a heat exchanger in brown glass bottles (without headspace to limit/minimize oxidation) under screw cap closures and stored in a cellar at a temperature of 18–20 °C. The basic wine parameters were assessed via FTIR [4], color profiles were analyzed using a PhotoLab 7600 UV-VIS instrument, the volatile profile was evaluated using GC-MS [5], and wine tasting was conducted by experienced/trained panellists. The results indicated that density, total extract, acidity, and glycerin generally increased with dealcoholization, possibly due to the concentration effect caused by the removal of ethanol. While reducing sugars, pH, and organic acid profiles varied depending on the wine type. Dealcoholization led to a higher color intensity and chroma values, with noticeable differences in lightness (L), redness (a*), and yellowness (b*) parameters. Color differences (ΔE) was more pronounced in rosé and red wines compared to white wines. The total volatile compounds significantly (p < 0.05) decreased by 89.36%, 91.15%, and 93.74% in dealcoholized white, rosé, and red wines, respectively, compared to the original wine. Furthermore, sensory profile results revealed that the overall acceptability score for partially dealcoholized and dealcoholized white and red wines were similar to that of the respective original wines, while partially dealcoholized and dealcoholized rosé wines were scored lower compared to the original wine. Specifically, the intensity scores for fresh floral, fresh fruity, body/fullness, sweetness, and hotness decreased for all types of dealcoholized wines, while the intensity scores for cooked vegetable, color intensity, and acidity were higher for partially dealcoholized and dealcoholized wines compared to the respective original wines. The experimental findings expand the knowledge of the critical changes induced by dealcoholization and provide insights into maintaining the sensory and chemical integrity of wines during the process.