Maturation of wine in underwater springs as a novel wine production process

The technological process of wine production affects its chemical composition and consequently its organoleptic properties. Therefore, innovative technologies in wine production are of great importance in the competitive wine market. The maturation of wine in underwater springs is a novel technological process that, except for adding an attractive appearance to the wine bottle, potentially influences the wine's chemical composition. Herein, we performed total phenolic and flavonoid content analysis, phenolic profiling, and determined antioxidant potential for Malvasia white wines matured in traditional cellars and in the Northern Adriatic underwater springs. The antioxidant potential and total phenol and flavonoid content did not show significant differences between the two wine maturation processes. However, LC-MS/MS quantitative analysis showed that wines matured in the underwater springs had significantly increased concentrations of naringenin and myricetin. Despite the lack of a significant difference in chemical composition measured by less sensitive spectrophotometric methods, the quantitative differences of phenolic compounds were persistent and, as such, are a stimulus for further development and optimization of new wine production technologies including wine maturation in underwater springs.