Astringency Reduction of Mandilaria Wines: Vineyard and Winery Strategies

This paper aims to explore the impact of targeted viticultural and enological interventions on reducing the astringency of wines made solely by Mandilaria grape variety. Mandilaria is characterized by its high berry density, high tannin content, in-tense color and full body profile, all of which contribute to the distinctive enological characteristics of the wines while also pretending challenges for producers during vi-nification. This research aims to apply specific practices in the vineyard and the win-ery to reduce the astringency of the variety and adapt the wine produced to the re-quirements of the present consumers demands. In the vineyards of Paros Island, dif-ferent intensities of leaf removal and modifications to pruning load were applied. Three distinct post-harvest grape dehydration techniques and two varying levels of seed removal during alcoholic fermentation were evaluated for their effectiveness in reducing astringency. The results demonstrate that post-harvest dehydration tech-niques, particularly air and sun dehydration, significantly influence the quality indi-cators of Mandilaria wines, enhancing phenolic content, tannin levels, and antioxidant activity, while also improving phenolic ripeness and reducing the harsh tannic profile. Furthermore, seed removal effectively diminished astringency without affecting the wine’s structure. These findings suggest that the integration of these viticultural and enological techniques can significantly enhance the sensory attributes of Mandilaria wines, making them more appealing to modern consumers.