Hydrolases as markers of wine aging

Abstract: Indigenous wine hydrolytic enzymes come from both grape berries and the microorganisms involved in the fermentation process. The levels of these enzymes in wine vary according to the elaboration period and to wine aging; among them invertase and polygalacturonase are enzymes fairly resistant to denaturation and with utility to determine wine aging. Invertase may be employed as a marker of wine aging and it may be also used for differentiating wines from different regions of origin and different grape varieties. Polygalacturonase is a good indicator useful to differentiate the year of harvesting for wines elaborated with the same grape variety. Both enzymes may possibly be used as indicators of potentially fraudulent “aging-accelerated” processes.