Red wine coloration: A review of pigmented molecules, reactions, and applications

Color is one of the most distinctive qualities of red wine. Despite new knowledge in the field of pigment identification, copigmentation, and oxidation being forthcoming, there is still a large gap between the fundamental research and practical winemaking outcomes. A state-of-art review from these two aspects is, therefore, necessary. This review first introduces updated knowledge about the primary pigments in wine, with emphasis on their physicochemical properties. Then, the mechanisms of copigmentation and oxidation are elucidated in detail, along with their relative contributions to wine color. Finally, the practical effects of copigmentation and micro-oxygenation (MOX) in winemaking are summarized and discussed. In general, wine coloration is ultimately determined by the anthocyanin flavylium cation, which is greatly influenced by wine pH. In young red wine, grape-derived anthocyanins and nonanthocyanin polyphenols (as copigments) are the foundation for wine coloration. During aging and storage, anthocyanin derivatives are formed via various chemical reactions, where moderate oxidation plays a vital role, whereas copigmentation constantly decreases. The essence of wine color evolution relates to the changes of physicochemical properties of primary pigments in wine, where the hydration equilibrium gradually diminishes. In practice, the effects of copigment addition and MOX during real vinification can be viewed as somewhat controversial, considering that many studies showed different effects on wine color and pigment concentration. Universal features can be summarized but some phenomena still remain unclear and deserve further exploration.