Method for characterizing wines with excess pressure and related system

Abstract

Method for characterizing wines with excess pressure and related system The present invention concerns a method for characterizing a wine with excess pressure, comprising the following steps: - preparing an environment with predetermined temperature, pressure and relative humidity; - pouring a wine with excess pressure to be characterized into a glass, in a predetermined amount and at a predetermined temperature; - waiting for a predetermined waiting time; - recording for a predetermined time the sounds emitted by the bubbles present in said wine, through a microphone positioned in the head area of said glass; - processing said audio recording obtained in the previous step; - obtaining frequency spectrum and sonogram. The present invention also concerns a system for characterizing or verifying a wine with excess pressure.

Description

[0001] METHOD FOR CHARACTERIZING WINES WITH EXCESS PRESSURE AND

[0002] RELATED SYSTEM

[0003] The present invention concerns a method for characterizing wines with excess pressure and related system.

[0004] In particular, the present invention relates to a method for characterizing wines with excess pressure, such as sparkling wines, semi-sparkling wines and aerated wines.

[0005] As is known, wines with excess pressure are special wines, classified based on the origin of the effervescence present in the bottle, due to the presence of carbon dioxide. In particular, said special wines are divided into categories based on the excess pressure present in the bottle, the origin of the effervescence and the sugar dosage after the second fermentation. For example, there are sparkling wines, obtained with the classic method, Charmat method or ancestral method, semi-sparkling wines or aerated wines. Furthermore, said wines have bubbles when poured into a cup or glass. The formation of said bubbles, or perlage, i.e. bubbles that rise inside the wine, is due to hollow cellulose microfibres, present on the walls of the glass, at specific spots called nucleation spots, where dissolved carbon dioxide is trapped. In particular, said bubbles carry aromatic molecules and end their journey by collapsing and releasing all the olfactory components of the wine to the surface.

[0006] Currently, the characterization of said wines takes place through a sensory evaluation, which is divided into three phases or steps: the first is the visual examination, which allows to evaluate the appearance of the wine to the eye; then there is the olfactory examination, which enhances the scents and sensations they evoke; finally the gustatory examination, where the taste explodes in the mouth and recalls aromas and scents of all kinds. In particular, the evaluation that is still made on the bubbles concerns the amount, size, persistence of the perlage and foam. These characteristics depend on a number of environmental factors, such as atmospheric pressure, temperature, amount of dissolved CO2 and above all on the type of glass, as well as the serving method.

[0007] However, this evaluation can only be carried out by a professional or sommelier who is able to carry out an organoleptic analysis of the beverages in order to evaluate their type, quality, characteristics, preservation potential, also depending on the correct wine-food pairing.

[0008] Furthermore, such analyses are not objective and repeatable as they depend on the experience of the sommelier and the type of glass or serving method.

[0009] In addition, a partial characterization of said wines is currently obtained through chemical analysis in the laboratory. In particular, in the laboratory it is possible to analyse said wines to obtain only the amount of sugars (in mg / L) present in the wine and then establish their classification, for example from nature to extra brut, brut, etc.... On the contrary, these analyses do not allow to trace back the grape variety of origin or the refermentation method. Furthermore, such laboratory analyses are costly and time-consuming.

[0010] In conclusion, there is a need in the specific sector for a standardized and uniform method for characterizing wines with excess pressure.

[0011] This need is met by the method according to the present invention which also offers further advantages which will become clear hereinafter.

[0012] In particular, said method envisages using the sound produced by the bubbles on the surface of the liquid poured into a glass. Said method, compared to the existing ones, has the advantage of being able to be encoded and transmitted digitally at a distance. Furthermore, said method can constitute an easier method of comparison and be evaluated through simple and evidence-based scientific tools.

[0013] These and other results are obtained according to the present invention by proposing a method that exploits the audio processing of the sound of the bubbles in the glass, that is using spectral analysis, with the identification and type of trend over time of specific frequencies emitted by the sound of the bubbles. In particular, through said method it is possible to collect the characterizing elements of the wine and classify them based on this information.

[0014] In fact, by processing the sound emitted by the bubbles in the glass, it is possible to recognize the wine-making category to which the wine belongs, the production method, the sugar dosage, the sensory picture and the grape variety of origin, as well as the alcohol content.

[0015] In this way, a standardized and repeatable method for characterizing wine is obtained, which can be used in the industrial field for wine diagnostics.

[0016] Furthermore, said method provides a new element of evaluation of the quality of wines with excess pressure as a standard for oenological guides and sommelier cards. Moreover, said method can lead to the creation of an audio database, in such a way as to create a classification of the wines with excess pressure based on their sound characteristics.

[0017] In addition, the present invention proposes a method for verifying wines with excess pressure in order to verify when it is opened whether the wine has the characteristics declared on the label.

[0018] Furthermore, each bottle of wine with excess pressure could be provided with a QR code that contains information for connecting to remote resources, such as for example an audio file that reproduces the characteristic sound of the wine contained in the bottle, so that the consumer, when he or she opens the bottle, can verify that the content corresponds to that declared on the label, or is not altered, for example as a result of poor storage. In other words, the consumer him / herself could analyse the wine with excess pressure from his / her smartphone and compare the characteristics detected with those present on the wine label. This makes it possible to better protect the consumer and avoid falsification and mystification.

[0019] Aim of the present invention is therefore to provide a method that allows to overcome the limits of the sensory evaluations according to the known technology and to obtain the technical results previously described.

[0020] A further aim of the invention is that said method can be carried out with substantially low costs, both with regard to production costs and with regard to management costs.

[0021] Yet another aim of the invention is to propose a method that is simple, safe and reliable.

[0022] Therefore, a specific object of the present invention is a method for characterizing a wine with excess pressure, comprising the following steps:

[0023] - preparing an environment with predetermined temperature, pressure and relative humidity;

[0024] - pouring a wine with excess pressure to be characterized into a glass, in a predetermined amount and at a predetermined temperature;

[0025] - waiting for a predetermined waiting time;

[0026] - recording for a predetermined time the sounds emitted by the bubbles present in said wine, through a microphone positioned in the head area of said glass;

[0027] - processing said audio recording obtained in the previous step;

[0028] - obtaining frequency spectrum and sonogram. In particular, according to the invention, said method may comprise a final step of:

[0029] - storing said frequency spectrum and sonogram as a frequency spectrum and sonogram of reference for the type of wine in question.

[0030] Still, according to the invention, said method may further comprise the step of:

[0031] - obtaining an intonation band sonogram.

[0032] According to the invention, the conditions of the characterization environment can be as follows: temperature of 20±1 °C, pressure comprised in the interval 996.2 - 1004.6 ± 0.1 hPa, relative humidity of 65±1 %; the amount of wine with excess pressure to be characterized is equal to 120±5ml and the temperature is 5 - 7±1 °C.

[0033] In particular, according to the invention, said waiting time may be equal to 30s and said recording time of the sounds emitted by the bubbles may be equal to 4min.

[0034] Still, according to the invention, said wine with excess pressure to be characterized can be poured into said glass by keeping the glass itself tilted by 45°.

[0035] Still according to the invention, said step of processing the audio recording may comprise a sampling at 44100Hz and 16 bits.

[0036] In particular, according to the invention, said frequency spectrum can be obtained in the range 0-22000Hz, preferably 700-20000Hz.

[0037] Furthermore, according to the present invention, the method for characterizing a wine with excess pressure, subsequently to said step of obtaining frequency spectrum and sonogram, may comprise the following step:

[0038] - comparing said frequency spectrum and said sonogram with the respective frequency spectrum of reference for the type of wine in question.

[0039] A further object of the present invention is a system for characterizing or verifying a wine with excess pressure, comprising:

[0040] - a glass adapted to contain 120±5 ml of a wine with excess pressure,

[0041] - a container having sound-insulated walls, said container being adapted to contain said glass,

[0042] - a sound recorder adapted to record the sounds emitted by the bubbles after the wine has been poured into said glass and to produce an audio file,

[0043] - a support for said sound recorder, said support being fixed to said container and being adapted to position said sound recorder in the head area of said glass, and

[0044] - a logic control unit connected to said sound recorder and adapted to process the audio files recorded by said sound recorder to generate a spectrum and a sonogram.

[0045] Finally, according to the invention said glass may comprise predetermined nucleation spots and said support may be a polystyrene stop.

[0046] The effectiveness of the device of the present invention is evident, which allows to characterize the wines with excess pressure, obtaining a series of parameters to evaluate said wine.

[0047] The present invention will now be described, by way of illustration and not by way of limitation, according to a preferred embodiment thereof, with particular reference to the figures in the appended drawings, wherein:

[0048] - figures 1a - 1 e show respectively the logarithmic-based spectrum of the frequencies, obtained, according to the method of the present invention, for a classic method sparkling wine, for a Charmat method sparkling wine, for an ancestral method sparkling wine, for a semi-sparkling wine and for an aerated wine,

[0049] - figures 2a - 2e show the sonogram obtained, according to the method of the present invention, for a classic method sparkling wine, for a Charmat method sparkling wine, for an ancestral method sparkling wine, for a semi-sparkling wine and for an aerated wine,

[0050] - figures 3a - 3e show respectively the linear spectrum obtained, according to the method of the present invention, in the frequency range greater than 700Hz for a classic method sparkling wine, for a Charmat method sparkling wine, for an ancestral method sparkling wine, for a semi-sparkling wine and for an aerated wine,

[0051] - figures 4a and 4b show respectively the intonation band sonograms, according to the method of the present invention, for a classic method sparkling wine and for a Charmat method sparkling wine,

[0052] -figure 5 shows a sonogram obtained, according to the method of the present invention, from the analysis of a sparkling wine deriving from a long Charmat process,

[0053] - figure 6 shows the linear spectrum obtained, according to the method of the present invention, from the analysis of classic method sparkling wines with three different and increasing sugar dosages, namely nature, brut and demi sec,

[0054] - figure 7 shows the linear spectrum obtained, according to the method of the present invention, from the analysis of Charmat method sparkling wines with three different and increasing sugar dosages, namely extra brut, extra dry and demi sec,

[0055] - figures 8a and 8b show the linear spectrum obtained from the analysis of two samples from Chardonnay grapes and the spectrum of two samples from Pinot Noir grapes,

[0056] - figures 9a - 9e show the linear spectra obtained from the analysis of five wines awarded with the highest score by the Sparkle guide,

[0057] - figures 10a - 10e show the sonograms obtained from the analysis of five wines awarded with the highest score by the Sparkle guide, and

[0058] - figures 11 a-11 d show the components of the system according to the present invention for characterizing a wine with excess pressure.

[0059] The invention will be described below by way of illustration and not by way of limitation, with particular reference to some illustrative examples.

[0060] Example 1 . Characterization of sparkling wines

[0061] The experimental set-up comprises a polystyrene container with sound- insulated walls in which a glass filled with 120±5 ml of wine with excess pressure to be characterized is placed.

[0062] Furthermore, the experiment was carried out under the following conditions: ambient temperature of 20±1 °C, atmospheric pressure in the range 996.2 - 1004.6±0.1 hPa, relative humidity of 65±1 %, temperature of the bottles in the cellar in the range 5 - 7±1 °C.

[0063] In addition, the experiment was conducted with classic method or Charmat method or ancestral method sparkling wines, semi-sparkling wines and aerated wines.

[0064] In particular, use was made of glasses Italesse mod. Etoile Sparkle, provided with nucleation spots engraved by laser so as to obtain a perlage that is not random but coming from regular sites. In addition, the serving method was in "beer-style", i.e. with the glass tilted at 45° while pouring in order to reduce the losses of carbon dioxide dissolved in the wine.

[0065] Furthermore, a digital recorder (Zoom H1 model provided with two microphones) was placed in the head area of the glass, always at the same distance from the liquid, in order to sample the sounds emitted by the bubbles. In particular, 4 min of audio were recorded in wave format, sampled at 44100 Hz and 16 bits, about 30s after the wine was poured. Subsequently, the audio files were processed to remove any initial and final noise and frequency-analysed to produce the following diagrams for each sample:

[0066] - Frequency spectrum in which the frequency in Hz is indicated on the abscissae and the amplitude in dB on the ordinates, and

[0067] - Sonogram in which the time in minutes is indicated on the abscissae, the frequency in Hz on the ordinate and the amplitude in grey intensity, said sonogram therefore represents the temporal variations of the frequency and its intensity over time, and

[0068] - Intonation band sonogram in which the time in minutes is indicated on the abscissae, the frequency in Hz on the ordinate and the amplitude in grey intensity. In particular, in said intonation band sonogram, the processing algorithm allows to obtain wider horizontal bands based on frequencies with the same tone.

[0069] The processing of this intonation band sonogram allows to obtain a more precise characterization under particular conditions.

[0070] In particular, figures 1a - 1 e show respectively the spectrum obtained for a classic method sparkling wine, for a Charmat method sparkling wine, for an ancestral method sparkling wine, for a semi-sparkling wine and for an aerated wine. Whereas figures 2a - 2e show the sonogram obtained respectively for a classic method sparkling wine, for a Charmat method sparkling wine, for an ancestral method sparkling wine, for a semi-sparkling wine and for an aerated wine.

[0071] From the analysis of the diagrams, it emerged that different bottles of the same wine, of the same vintage and the same batch, give rise to compatible results.

[0072] Furthermore, in the sparkling wines, both classic and Charmat method, compared to the sparkling and aerated wines, there are harmonics with greater amplitude, i.e. more intense lines in the sonograms, both at low and high frequencies and throughout the time span of the observation.

[0073] In addition, it is evident that in the semi-sparkling wines the amplitudes of the main harmonics decrease as time goes by whereas in the aerated wines the amplitudes of some frequencies increase as time goes by.

[0074] From the analysis of the sonograms it can be noted that in the classic method there is a greater concentration of intensity of the frequencies, that is, more intense colours and more diffuse shades in the first part and even after 1 min. On the other hand, in the Charmat methods there are fewer lines that are narrower and more homogeneous over time. For the ancestral method, the intensities of the frequency bands are lower than those of the classic method but show a similar behaviour over time.

[0075] From the analysis of the logarithmic-based spectra of figure 1 , it can be observed that similar frequency bands are present in the interval 1 - 700 Hz, which is the one with the highest intensities and with amplitude peaks at common frequencies, for example 50Hz, 100Hz, 200Hz, 450Hz. For this reason, spectrum analysis was carried out in the interval 700 - 20000 Hz. In particular, figures 3a - 3e show respectively the spectrum obtained in the frequency range 0-8500Hz for a classic method sparkling wine, for a Charmat method sparkling wine, for an ancestral method sparkling wine, for a semi-sparkling wine and for an aerated wine.

[0076] In addition, from further spectra of the sparkling wines (not shown) it was possible to note that the amplitudes in the interval 2000 - 14000 Hz are greater than in the other categories and values up to four times higher are reached. Furthermore, for the classic method sparkling wines there are more intensity peaks in the frequency range 4000 - 8000 Hz, as shown in figure 3a.

[0077] In particular, figures 4a and 4b respectively show the intonation band sonograms for a classic method sparkling wine and for a Charmat method sparkling wine. From these sonograms, the differences between the classic and Charmat methods are more evident. In particular, for the classic method there are more formants, i.e. strips with different shades and an increase in intensity of some frequencies in the central part, i.e. after 1 min.

[0078] Figure 5 shows a sonogram obtained from the analysis of a sparkling wine deriving from a long Charmat process, i.e. with a longer stay on the yeasts. This sonogram has characteristics much closer to the classic method sparkling wines, that is, with wide formants and diffuse shades.

[0079] Example 2. Characterization of classic method sparkling wines with different sugar dosages

[0080] The test of the previous example was repeated with classic method sparkling wines but with three different and increasing sugar dosages, namely nature, brut and demi sec. The initial conditions are the same as in the previous example. Figure 6 reports the spectrum obtained from the analysis of these sparkling wines. From this figure it can be noted that the peaks of the main frequencies have translated to the right of the diagrams as the dosage increases, that is, there is a shift towards higher frequencies.

[0081] Example 3. Characterization of Charmat method sparkling wines with different sugar dosages

[0082] The test of the previous example was repeated with Charmat method sparkling wines but with three different and increasing sugar dosages, namely Extra brut, extra dry and demi sec. The initial conditions are the same as the previous examples. Figure 7 reports the spectrum obtained from the analysis of these sparkling wines. From this figure it is evident that the behaviour is the same as in the previous example.

[0083] Furthermore, in both categories, the classic and Charmat method, there is a decrease in the intensity of the frequencies, especially the main ones, as the dosage increases.

[0084] Example 4. Characterization of classic method sparkling wines from the same grape variety

[0085] The tests of the previous examples were repeated with classic method sparkling wines coming from the same grape variety. In particular, two samples coming from the Chardonnay grape variety and two samples from the Pinot Noir grape variety were analysed. The initial conditions are the same as the previous examples. Figures 8a and 8b report respectively the spectrum of two samples coming from Chardonnay grapes and the spectrum of two samples coming from Pinot Noir grapes. This comparison highlighted similar frequency distributions for each grape variety.

[0086] Example 5. Comparison of the sonograms and spectra of five wines awarded with the highest score by the Sparkle 2022 guide

[0087] The tests of the previous examples were repeated with five wines awarded with the highest score by the Sparkle 2022 guide Figures 9a - 9e report the spectra obtained from these five wines and figures 10a - 10e report the respective sonograms. In particular, it could be noted that said wines have formants in common at three specific frequencies, namely 4000Hz, 7500Hz and 10500Hz. Furthermore, wines with richer aromatic pictures have more homogeneous amplitudes in the interval 8000 - 12000 Hz and greater intensities in the range 10000 - 11000 Hz, which are constant over time.

[0088] In conclusion, the proposed method made it possible to highlight the following characterizations: - wines of the sparkling category have a greater excess pressure that translates into greater amplitudes over the entire frequency spectrum, in the semi-sparkling wines there is a gradual attenuation of the intensities over time while in the aerated wines the behaviour is the opposite;

[0089] - wines obtained with the classic method, that is, with refermentation in the bottle or wines with a long stay on the yeasts give rise to wide concentrations of frequencies, with increasing intensities especially in the central part of the temporal observation and have richer bands. Whereas in the sparkling wines obtained with the Charmat method, the formants are narrower and less intense;

[0090] - wines of the same category with different sugar dosages have less intense frequency concentrations towards higher bands as the dosage increases;

[0091] - with wines with more intense aromatic characterizations and quality organoleptic elements frequencies with greater amplitudes at certain values and a more homogeneous concentration over time, especially over specific intervals, are detected; and

[0092] - the grape variety of origin transfers specific information into the bubbles that result in a unique spectral conformation.

[0093] From these characteristics it is possible to build a database of characterization of said wines with excess pressure and to develop an application of audio acquisition of the sound coming from the glass via smartphone, for the verification of the characteristics of the bubbles.

[0094] Referring to figures 11a-11d, an object of the present invention is also a system for characterizing a wine with excess pressure. The system comprises:

[0095] - a glass 2, provided with nucleation spots to improve the sound transmission and adapted to contain said wine with excess pressure to be characterized;

[0096] - a container 3 with sound-insulated walls, adapted to contain said glass 2;

[0097] - a sound recorder 4 adapted to record the sounds emitted by the bubbles after the wine has been poured into said glass 2;

[0098] - - a support for said sound recorder 4, said support being fixed to said container 3 and being adapted to position said sound recorder 4 in the head area of said glass 2, said support may be a polystyrene stop;

[0099] - a logic control unit II connected to said sound recorder 4 and adapted to process the audio files recorded by said sound recorder 4 in order to obtain the spectrum or sonogram.

[0100] The present invention was described by way of non-limiting illustration, according to preferred embodiments thereof, but it is to be understood that variations and / or modifications may be introduced by the person skilled in the art without going outside the scope of protection hereof, as defined by the appended claims.

Claims

CLAIMS1 ) A method for characterizing a wine with excess pressure, comprising the following steps:- preparing an environment with predetermined temperature, pressure and relative humidity;- pouring a wine with excess pressure to be characterized into a glass, in a predetermined amount and at a predetermined temperature;- waiting for a predetermined waiting time;- recording for a predetermined time the sounds emitted by the bubbles present in said wine, through a microphone positioned in the head area of said glass;- processing said audio recording obtained in the previous step;- obtaining frequency spectrum and sonogram.2) The method for characterizing a wine with excess pressure, according to claim 1 , characterized in that it comprises a final step of:- storing said frequency spectrum and sonogram as a frequency spectrum and sonogram of reference for the type of wine in question.3) The method for characterizing a wine with excess pressure, according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it further comprises the following step:- obtaining an intonation band sonogram.4) The method for characterizing a wine with excess pressure according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the conditions of the characterization environment are as follows: temperature of 20±1 °C, pressure comprised in the interval 996.2 - 1004.6 ± O.l hPa, relative humidity of 65±1 %; the amount of wine with excess pressure to be characterized is equal to 120±5ml and the temperature is 5 - 7±1 °C.5) The method for characterizing a wine with excess pressure according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said waiting time is equal to 30s and said time for recording the sounds emitted by the bubbles is equal to 4min.6) The method for characterizing a wine with excess pressure according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said wine with excess pressure to be characterized is poured into said glass by keeping the glass itself tilted by 45°.7) The method for characterizing a wine with excess pressure according toany one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said step of processing the audio recording comprises a sampling at 44100Hz and 16 bits.8) The method for characterizing a wine with excess pressure according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said frequency spectrum is obtained in the range 0-22000Hz, preferably 700-20000Hz.9) The method for characterizing a wine with excess pressure, according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, subsequently to said step of obtaining frequency spectrum and sonogram, it comprises the following step:- comparing said frequency spectrum and said sonogram with the respective frequency spectrum of reference for the type of wine in question.10) A system for characterizing or verifying a wine with excess pressure by the method of claims 1 -9, comprising:- a glass (2) adapted to contain 120±5 ml of a wine with excess pressure,- a container (3) having sound-insulated walls, said container (3) being adapted to contain said glass (2),- a sound recorder (4) adapted to record the sounds emitted by the bubbles after the wine has been poured into said glass (2) and to produce an audio file,- a support for said sound recorder (4), said support being fixed to said container (3) and being adapted to position said sound recorder (4) in the head area of said glass (2), and- a logic control unit (II) connected to said sound recorder (4) and adapted to process the audio files recorded by said sound recorder (4) to generate a spectrum and a sonogram.11 ) The system according to the preceding claim, characterized in that said glass (2) comprises predetermined nucleation spots.12) The system according to any one of claims 10-11 , characterized in that said support is a polystyrene stop.

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