POST-FERMENTATION BOTANICAL ENRICHMENT OF SHIRAZ WINE WITH SELECTED LEAF EXTRACTS: QUALITY CHARACTERISTICS AND STORAGE STABILITY

Abstract

Post-fermentation botanical infusion provides a strategy for modifying wine composition without altering primary vinification. This study evaluated Shiraz wine infused after fermentation with 70% (v/v) ethanolic leaf extracts of drumstick (Moringa oleifera), elephant foot leaf (Elephantopus scaber) and betel (Piper betle L.) at 5, 10 and 15 mL per 100 mL formulation. Ten formulations, including an uninfused control, were evaluated in a completely randomized design with three replications for physicochemical, antioxidant, phenolic, mineral, volatile, and sensory characteristics. The 15 mL drumstick formulation (T1) recorded the highest total phenols (165.40 mg GAE/100 mL), ferric-reducing antioxidant activity (286.45 mg AAE/100 mL), calcium (12.40 mg/100 mL), magnesium (9.35 mg/100 mL), zinc (0.42 mg/100 mL), copper (2.58 mg/L), and iron (9.20 mg/L). The highest initial sensory score was obtained for the 5 mL betel formulation (T9; 17.65/20). In a separate storage experiment, selected 15 mL formulations and the control were aged for three months and subsequently stored under cold conditions for six months. Total phenols and antioxidant activity decreased during storage but remained higher in enriched wines than in the control, whereas mineral concentrations showed comparatively limited changes. Post-fermentation botanical infusion modified the measured compositional and sensory characteristics of Shiraz wine, with compositional enrichment retained during six months of storage.