Aspartic Acid Protease from Botrytis cinerea Removes Haze-Forming Proteins during White Winemaking

White wines suffer from heat-induced protein hazes during transport and storage unless the proteins are removed prior to bottling. Bentonite fining is by far the most commonly used method, but it is inefficient and creates several other process challenges. An alternative to bentonite is the enzymatic removal of haze-forming grape pathogenesis-related proteins using added proteases. The major problem with this approach is that grape pathogenesis-related proteins are highly protease resistant unless they are heat denatured in combination with enzymatic treatment. This paper demonstrates that the protease BcAP8, from the grape fungal pathogen Botrytis cinerea , is capable of degrading chitinase, a major class of haze-forming proteins, without heat denaturation. Because BcAP8 effectively removes haze-forming proteins under normal winemaking conditions, it could potentially benefit winemakers by reducing bentonite requirement

Wine protein haze: mechanisms of formation and advances in prevention.

Protein haze is an aesthetic problem in white wines that can be prevented by removing the grape proteins that have survived the winemaking process. The haze-forming proteins are grape pathogenesis-related proteins that are highly stable during winemaking, but some of them precipitate over time and with elevated temperatures. Protein removal is currently achieved by bentonite addition, an inefficient process that can lead to higher costs and quality losses in winemaking. The development of more efficient processes for protein removal and haze prevention requires understanding the mechanisms such as the main drivers of protein instability and the impacts of various wine matrix components on haze formation. This review covers recent developments in wine protein instability and removal and proposes a revised mechanism of protein haze formation