Preparation of “Ginger-Enriched Wine” and Study of Its Physicochemical and Organoleptic Stability

Wine is the world’s leading alcoholic beverage, with Greece having a centuries-old history of winemaking processes. A common practice among winemakers is the addition of herbs and plants to wine, which is believed to increase its antioxidant capacity. A well-known example is retsina, produced from resin. This paper is based on the study of Roditis Alepou (Roditis Fox) and Muscat of Patras, two euphemistic grape varieties of Achaia, at different stages of maturity, with the addition of ginger to prepare ginger-enriched wine. Ginger is considered one of the most ancient plants, with its main cultivation countries being India and Malaysia. The present study included physicochemical analyses, involving total and effective acidity of the samples, antioxidant capacity, total phenolics, and pigments in the spectra of 420, 520, and 620 nm. This work aimed to study the wine prepared by these indigenous grape varieties of Achaia with added ginger at different concentrations (0.2%, 0.5%, and 1.2%, w/v) post-fermentation, and to determine if it conforms with the typical physicochemical characteristics of dry white wine. An increase in total and effective acidity of the samples was observed. Some fluctuations in total phenolics and antioxidant capacity were noted. Finally, pigments showed increased values in all three spectra. The organoleptic evaluation yielded encouraging results, leading us to conclude that the product warrants further study, with prospects for producing wine aromatized with ginger or ginger extract.