Abigail Keng*
*Texas A&M University, 495 Horticulture Rd, College Station, TX, 77843 (akeng25@tamu.edu)

Cork taint is a global issue within the wine industry. Finding ways to remove the responsible chemicals, trichloroanisole (TCA) and tribromoanisole (TBA), without stripping the wine of aromas and flavors, while maintaining desirable color char­acteristics is imperative. We investigated dried grape pomace as a fining agent for effective removal of TCA and TBA from wine. Dried grape pomace was procured from a local winery and added to Chardonnay wine at two addition rates: 5 or 10 g/L. After 48 hrs in contact with the pomace, the wine was strained and samples were tested for haloanisole analysis. Headspace gas chromatography-mass spectrometry showed that the addition of dried pomace significantly decreased TBA in wine. The 5 g/L addition resulted decreased TBA by 69.41% and the 10 g/L addition, by 74%. No significant effect was found on TCA. Dried grape pomace as a fining agent for TBA shows excellent promise. Grape pomace is a by-product of wine production, making it very easily accessible and cost-effective to winemakers. The grape pomace is added at manageable levels for wineries of all sizes. No adverse effects were measured in the wine and color was maintained. Experiments are underway testing lower rates of pomace addition, different wine types, and lengths of time in contact with pomace. Sensory analysis is also being conducted.

Funding Support: San Antonio Livestock Expo (SALE)