A preliminary approach to increase oxidative stability in wines: the addition of sacrificial amino acids naturally occurring in wine to reduce Strecker aldehydes formation

Strecker aldehydes (SA) are oxidation-related odorants, a menace to wine's ageing capacity and aromatic quality. To date, no universal solution exists to drastically reduce their formation beyond a meticulous oxygen management, which is difficult to control during commercialisation. These aldehydes mainly form via reaction of their corresponding Strecker amino acids with α-dicarbonyls. Therefore, this study aims to decrease their production by the addition of naturally occurring amino acids in wine, that might reduce the availability of α-dicarbonyls. Different accelerated oxidation procedures are performed on model wine and wine matrixes with sacrificial amino acids and SA are quantified and compared against their control. The additions of 4 mM of L-Tyrosine (Tyr) and L-Aspartic acid (Asp) reduce production rates up to 15 % in spiked wines or 7–8 % in rosé for 3-methylbutanal, methional and phenylacetaldehyde. This study sheds light on a promising technique for reducing SA in wine and potentially increasing its longevity. • Wine-naturally occurring amino acids are added to reduce Strecker aldehydes formation. • Most significant reductions are obtained when tyrosine and aspartic acid are added. • Although significant, the sensory impact of these additions would need to be studied.