Characterization\nof New Traditional Materials for\nthe Manufacture of Oenological Tanks and Effect on Red Wine Redox\nState During Aging

The aim of this study was to investigate the properties\nof materials\nused for tank manufacturing and to test their effect on a Sangiovese\nwine dissolved oxygen (DO), and redox potential (ORp) during aging\nin an industrial scale experiment. Uncoated (UC) and epoxy-coated\nconcrete (EC) and raw earthenware (RE) were characterized for their\nmorphology (scanning electronic microscopy), thickness, density, dry\nweight, water absorption, porosity, microtomography analysis, and\noxygen transmission rate (OTR). The results of this characterization\nshow that different materials have different microstructures and OTR\nvalues. EC material was impermeable to oxygen, and RE showed a lower\nOTR compared to UC, and a higher water absorption rate. The tank material’s\noxygen permeability was reflected in the ORp and DO values of wines\nduring the aging test. Wines that are aged in RE and UC showed an\nORp and DO higher than those aged in EC and SS tanks.