Available online at http://journal-of-agroalimentary.ro Journal of Agroalimentary Processes and Technologies 2016, 22(4), 236-240 Journal of Agroalimentary Processes and Technologies ____________________________________________ Corresponding author: e-mail: dimodean@yahoo.com Production and quality properties of red vermouth wines Diana Moigradean * , Mariana-Atena Poiana, Liana-Maria Alda, Ioan Gogoasa Banats University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine „King Mihai I of Romania” from Timisoara,, Faculty of Food Processing Technology, Calea Aradului 119, Timisoara, RO 300645, Romania Received: 24 September 2016; Accepted: 08 November 2016 ____________________________________________________________________________________ Abstract The goal of our study was to prepare and characterize four types of red vermouth obtained from Cabernet Sauvignon as basic wine by addition of various additives: plants alcoholic macerate, alcohol, sugar and citric acid. The alcoholic macerate containing a mixture of plants was used for basic red wine flavoring. The obtained vermouth wines differ in sugar content (60, 80, 100 and 120 g/L) as well as regarding the total dry extract values that range from 78.60 to139.65 g/L. The alcohol content was 18% (v/v), total acidity 4 g/L H2SO4; no significant differences were observed in the non-reducing dry extract values. Also, the red vermouth wines were analyzed in terms of total antioxidant capacity and total polyphenolic compounds after 45 days of storage at room temperature. Alcoholic macerate have given the antioxidant characteristic to red vermouth samples by the addition of phenolic compounds from plants. After 45 days of storage, the highest losses (4.5%) of total antioxidant capacity were recorded in red vermouth sample with a sugar content of 60 g/L. It can be say that polyphenolic compounds play a significant role on antioxidant function of vermouth wine. Keywords: red vermouth, alcoholic macerates, sugar, polyphenolic compounds ______________________________________________________________________________________ 1. Introduction The word “vermouth” derives from “wormwood” – infused wines of the same name. Modern vermouth, as a commercial product, originated from the region around Turin, Italy in the late 18 th Century as a moderately sweet, herbaceous, compounded bottled beverage [1]. Traditionally, vermouth and aperitif wines are prepared from grape-based wine, with the addition of an herb and spice mixture or their extracts [2]. These herbs, including coriander, nutmeg, marjoram and cinnamon, were considered to be medicinal themselves, so the sweet drinks were often sold as a tonic. The best way to describe vermouth is to call it an aromatized wine. What that means is that sugar, herbs, roots, flowers and spices have been added to give it the flavor we all know and love without changing its alcohol content, which usually falls between 15 and 19 percent [3]. The herbal infusion gives vermouth its unique flavor and aroma [2]. The wine used in the production of vermouth must account for at least 75% of the finished product so inevitably the quality of that wine will greatly impact the quality of the vermouth. Alcohol is used in vermouth to both fortify the wine and as a solvent to extract and harness the flavoring substances of botanicals. Sugar is crucial to balance various bitter botanicals used to flavor vermouth and adds body and mouth feel. Sweet vermouth contains about 150 g/L of sugar while dry vermouth have less than 50 g/L [4]. Polyphenols compounds are reported to play a substantial role in protection against oxidative stress. Consumption of one unit (100 mL) of vermouth provided 220 mg polyphenols, whereas wine in the same quality was reported to have 35 mg [5].