Methanol control and aromatic preservation in producing wine spirit from east Asian species

High-acidity, low-sugar, neutral-aromatic grapes from East Asian species show great potential for spirit production. However, their high methyl-esterified pectin content poses a risk of methanol overload. This study explored methanol control and aroma profiles in East Asian grape spirits. Base wines were fermented without skin contact and treated with 30 mg/L pectin methyl esterase to manage methanol levels. This approach kept methanol below 2.0 g/L after both alembic and continuous column distillation, with alembic distillation yielding lower levels. Spirits from continuous column distillation showed low concentrations on ethyl esters of straight-chain fatty acids, alcohol acetates, higher alcohols, acids, terpenoids, and C13-norisoprenoids. These spirits had cleaner, higher-quality aromas characterized by mellow, tropical, white and stone fruits, and floral notes. The results suggest that non-skin fermentation paired with continuous column distillation effectively controls methanol while enhancing aroma, offering a promising method for producing high-quality spirits from East Asian grapes.