Magical Magnetic Wand to improve Wine Aromas

Wine flavours and aromas arise from numerous chemicals that may come from several different sources, including the grapes and the yeasts that produce a few essential flavour compounds. Oak barrels and different treatment processes also add to them.

The green pepper flavour, specifically, seems to come almost exclusively from the grape itself. Often, picking the grapes a bit too early may result in a little more of a harsh flavour that comes through in the wine. Some drinkers may not like these flavours or aromas so the scientists in Australia conducted this Study to remove them.

Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc, in particular, have these green characteristics. So it only becomes a potential issue when it's out of balance with everything else," says David Jeffery, associate professor in wine science at the University of Adelaide in Australia and lead author of the new Study.

Jeffery says, ‘these off-putting aromas and flavours often arise in grapes harvested early or grown in cool climates. Winemakers have unsuccessfully tried to address the problem by using additives such as activated charcoal and deodorised oak chips.’

With a possible alternative being to use polymers, his research team set out to see if attaching magnetic nano-particles to polymers would allow them to “isolate and sop up these substances" which could easily be then removed from wine.

Applied to Cabernet Sauvignon so far, he said there was potential for this to be applied to other wines. “There’s a lot of work still to be done for this to be allowed to be used in the winemaking process. We’ve only focused on the green capsicum compound but there’s other off aromas or smoke taints from bushfires, or cork taint, "he said, adding that "the polymers would need to be designed to specially remove those other things, and they could.”

"Even a doubling of the concentration from 10 nanograms per litre to 20 is going to be enough to turn something that's got a nice varietal characteristic, into something that just smells like green capsicum and sort of subdues the other fruity characteristics," he said..

The team developed a nanopolymer, a tiny molecular framework, made mostly out of carbon in a grey powdery form that is designed to attach to the compound of the green capsicum flavour. They also applied a magnetic field to the mixture to make the adsorption faster and more effective. They also tested removing the flavour in both juice and wine and found that the best time to eliminate is during the juice stage, when they are most prominent. Since most of the flavour profile of wines and food is in the smell, expert tasters participated in a smell test. The treated wines showed no reduction in the overall bouquet of aromas, but seemed to have the capsicum notes reduced.

Interestingly, Magnetic Wine Wand which already sells magnets to improve aromas and flavours of wines, says, ‘it has been known for decades that beverages placed in a magnetic flux field will experience a marked improvement in taste and texture. In fact, a patent was first issued in 1900, where magnets were attached to a drinking mug "to remove piquant flavours in fermented beverages". Since then, many devices have been developed that subject the outside of the bottle or barrel to magnetic flux fields. There are simple, effective, and low cost devices that can be inserted directly into beverage bottle or glass. The availability of small, but very strong neodymium magnets has made this possible.’

Low cost wines will taste like a much more expensive wine, while an expensive red wine will open up and can be consumed without the long breathing period or aging that is often required. Tart whites will taste clean and smooth - some even take on a satiny texture, claims the website.

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