Pre-bottling use of dehydrated waste grape skins to improve colour, phenolic and aroma composition of red wines.
Different dehydrated waste grape skins from the juice industry were added into aged and young red wines as an innovative way of compensating for colour loss before bottling. After addition of grape skins, colour intensity of wines increased a mean 11% and a maximum of 31% with predominance of the red component. Total polyphenols mean increase was 10% with a maximum value of 20%. Analysis of low molecular weight phenolic compounds by HPLC-DAD showed a significant (p<0.05) content increase of the bioactive compounds gallic acid, (+)-catechin, (-)-epicatechin, and (E)-resveratrol. Anthocyanins content also increased at an average of 50mg/l. The volatile profile of wines analysed by SBSE-GC-MS was only moderately influenced by the treatments. Mixtures of dehydrated waste grape skins were useful to improve the colour and polyphenol profile of red wines, considering them a useful tool for correcting colour loss before bottling.