INTRODUCTION
Composition, flavour and other properties

characteristic of grape varieties or hybrids are extremely
important in determining wine quality. Varietal distinction is
further strengthened by soil and microclimate the vineyard
grows in (Jackson and Lombard, 1993). In India, remarkable
success has been achieved in grape production, and
productivity of fresh grapes is highest in the world.  At
present, grape is grown over an area of 106,000 ha, with
annual production of 881,000 tonnes in India for table grape
and raisin production (http://nhb.gov.in/database-2010.pdf).
However, recent years have witnessed a spurt in wine
making by small-scale wineries due to increasing demand
in the domestic market and, also, due to liberalized taxation
offered by various state governments. Indian wineries have
begun small-scale export of wines made from indigenous
and exotic varieties cultivated in their own vineyards (http:/
/indianwine.com). Intensive efforts for grape improvement
over the decades have also resulted in introduction of exotic
varieties and development of new hybrids in India (Singh et
al, 1998). Earlier scientific reports based on juice-yield and
must-quality parameters show that cultivars Shiraz, Cabernet
Sauvignon, Merlot, Zinfandel, Sauvignon Blanc, Ugni Blanc,
Vermentino and Garganega are recommendable for
commercial wine production in the Maharashtra region of
India (Karibasappa and Adsule, 2006). Present paper
describes the quality of wines prepared from new hybrids

Evaluation of new grape hybrids and French cultivars for wine production

K. Ranjitha, B.N.S. Murthy1 and E.R. Suresh
Division of Post Harvest Technology

ICAR - Indian Institute of Horticultural Research
Hessaraghatta Lake Post, Bengaluru - 560089, Karnataka, India

E- mail: ranjitha@iihr.ernet.in

ABSTRACT
This study aimed at evaluating newly developed hybrids and recently introduced cultivars of French grapes grown in

mild tropics of South India for quality wine production. Wines produced  from French grapes, viz., Cabernet Sauvignon,
Shiraz, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc and  Ugni Blanc scored 15.0 -16.8 in the Davis Score Card for
organoleptic analysis. Wines from red Hybrid 18/10 possessed phenolic content of 2097mg/l, had a brilliant colour
and sensory score of 13.1. Hybrid 23/2 gave good quality white, dry table wines with a sensory score of 13.4.

Key words: Wine quality, grape variety, hybrid, phenolics, wine colour

developed under the grape improvement research
programme at Indian Institute of Horticultural Research
(IIHR), Bengaluru, as also  from the classic French wine
varieties grown in Bengaluru region of South India (12o58’N
and 77o38’E, located 920m above MSL), a region typified
by mild tropical climate.

MATERIAL AND METHODS
Dry table wines were prepared from berries of various

hybrids developed at IIHR and French grape cultivars
grown in vineyards of the institute. Harvested red grapes
were washed, de-stemmed and sulfited with potassium
metabisulphite (200mg/l) and hand crushed. TSS was
adjusted to 22°Brix using cane sugar. For white wine
preparation, the juice was extracted after sulphiting, followed
by adjustment of TSS. The resultant grape must was
inoculated with 48h old starter culture of Saccharomyces
cerevisiae var. ellipsoides strain Montrachet no. 522 @
2%v/v. Fermentation was carried out at 18°C, with
occasional stirring of the must or juice, till completion as
measured using a Brix hydrometer. The young wines were
pressed, racked and clarified using calcium bentonite (400mg/
l) and were bottled and stored at 10±2°C for aging for a
year. Biochemical characteristics of wine such as, pH,
acidity, phenolic content, total residual sugars, volatile acidity,
alcohol content, hue and chroma were analyzed.  Sensory
attributes of the wines were evaluated on the 20-point Davis
score card (Amerine and Ough, 1982).

1Division of Fruit crops, ICAR - Indian Institute of Horticultural Research, Hessaraghatta Lake Post Bengaluru - 560089, Karnataka, India

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Evaluation of grapes for wine quality

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
The new hybrids developed at IIHR, Bengaluru, and

French wine grape varieties grown in mild tropics of South
India, were analyzed for quality parameters like TSS, pH
and total acidity. Data are presented in Tables 1 and 2. The
must from wine grapes is characterized by pH 3-3.5,
titratable acidity 0.5-0.7% and TSS of over than 20°Brix
(Amerine and Ough, 1982). Hybrid E28/2 possessed higher
must pH than required for wine grapes, while, the other
varieties had an optimal must pH ranging from 3.3 to 3.5.
TSS of all the varieties was satisfactory, with two varieties,
viz., E21/31 and E28/2 having a value as high as 24.6oBrix.
All the red hybrids possessed titratable acidity in the range
suitable for wine grapes, while, all the white hybrids had
slightly lower titratable acidity than required for wine grapes.
It is worthwhile to note that all the hybrids yielded much
sweeter berries with lesser acidity than their female parent
‘Bangalore Blue’ (a local grape cultivar in South India
characterized by moderate TSS of 18-19°B) and high

titratable acidity (0.8-1.0%). These characteristics limit the
variety’s suitability for wine production (Chadha and
Shikhamany, 1999). All French wine grape cultivars
produced quality berries as indicated by TSS, pH and
titratable acidity values. This points to a potential of growing
these newly-introduced cultivars in South Indian viticultural
areas for producing high-quality wine grapes. Our studies
also show that titratable acidity levels in these fall just about
in the optimal range. A number of parameters such as light,

Table 2. Grape must quality in French wine grape varieties grown
in mild tropical region of South India
Cultivar TSS (oBrix) p H Acidity

(% tartaric acid)
Cabernet Sauvignon 21.0±1.0 3.5±0.1 0.42±0.02
Shiraz 22.8±0.6 3.5±0.2 0.54±0.04
Pinot Noir 21.0±0.8 3.5±0.1 0.74±0.01
Sauvignon Blanc 24.0±0.7 3.6±0.1 0.64±0.02
Chenin Blanc 22.5±0.4 3.5±0.2 0.70±0.04
Ugni Blanc 21.0±1.0 3.4±0.2 0.56±0.09
Data given are Mean ± Standard Deviation of triplicates

Table 1. Characteristics of grape hybrids/ French cultivars used in wine making
Hybrid/Cultivar Characteristics TSS (°Brix) p H Acidity

(% tartaric acid)
Hybrid 25/11 Vines are medium croppers and responds to 21.6±0.8 3.3±0.1 0.53±0.02
(Bangalore Blue X Thompson Seedless) spur pruning; Berries deep red in colour,

seedless, round in shape
Hybrid18/10 Vines are low to moderate in vigour, respond 23.4±0.6 3.4±0.0 0.67±0.01
(Bangalore Blue X Beauty Seedless) well to spur pruning;  medium croppers;

Bunches small to medium in size, well filled
with dark coloured, round, seeded berries;
Coming to harvest very early

Hybrid 19/29 Vines are moderately vigorous and are good 23.0±0.6 3.5±0.3 0.53±0.02
(Bangalore Blue X Cheema Sahebi) croppers; Respond well to spur pruning;

Bunches medium in size, well filled and
winged; Berries are round to ovoid in shape,
medium sized, seeded and deep tan in colour

Hybrid 21/31 Vines are low to moderate in vigour; a prolific 24.6±0.45 3.4±0.1 0.53± 0.03
(Bangalore Blue X Convent Large Black) yielder, responding to spur pruning and double

cropping; Bunches small in size, well filled;
Berries round, tan coloured and seeded

Hybrid 22/10 Vines are vigorous and prolific bearers; Respond 21.6±0.5 3.5±0.0 0.37± 0.02
(Bangalore Blue X Convent Large Black) well to spur pruning; Bunches medium in size

and well filled; cylindrical; Berries round,
seeded, greenish in colour

Hybrid 28/2 Vines are low to moderate in vigour; medium 24.6±0.3 4.3±0.2 0.36±0.03
(Black Champa X Queen of the Vineyards) croppers; Bunches small to medium in size,

well filled; Berries ovoid, seeded, greenish in
colour; Has distinct Muscat  flavour

Hybrid 23/2 Vines are moderately vigorous; medium 22.4±0.3 3.4±0.1 0.46±0.05
(Bangalore Blue X Queen of the Vineyards) croppers; Bunches medium in size and well

filled;  Berries round to ovoid, seeded,
greenish-yellow in colour; Pulp meaty
with mild Muscat flavour

Data given are Mean ± Standard Deviation of  triplicates

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temperature, location, climate, irrigation and fertilization
influence wine grape quality. Sugar-acid balance in the
grapes, however, can be optimized by harvesting the berries
at optimal ripening stage (Suresh and Ethiraj, 1987).  Acidity
of the grape varieties can be improved by adjusting harvest
dates.

Characteristic composition and sensory score of the
red wines in various varieties were studied (Table 3). Red,
dry table-wines are characterized by pH 3-3.5, 0.4-0.6%
acidity, <1% residual sugar, 10-12% alcohol, 190-3800mg/l
phenolics and <0.1% volatile acidity (Amerine and Ough,
1982). Wines all possessed the characteristic composition
typical of red, dry table-wines. All the wines were fermented
till TSS was reduced to zero and the wines devoid of
acescent as indicated by alcohol, residual sugar and volatile
acidity estimations. Highest phenolic content (2097mg/l) was
observed in the wines made from Hybrid 18/10, a value
higher than average phenolic content of red wines (1800mg/
l). Wines made from French grapes possessed good hue
values, but Hybrid 25/11 had the highest value, while, Hybrid
21/11 had the lowest value. Intensity of colour (chroma)
was highest in Hybrid 18/10, followed by Hybrid 25/11. High

brilliance of Hybrid 18/10 may be explained by high phenolic
content. Wine phenolics are important quality components
contributing to colour, taste and mouth feel. These form
stable, pigmented polymers with anthocyanins giving red
wine its long-term color stability (Kennedy et al, 2002).
Among French wines, Shiraz possessed the lowest phenolic
content, while, Cabernet Sauvignon had the highest value.
Among the red wines Cabernet Sauvignon is reported to be
rich in tannic acid (Amerine et al, 1980). Sensory quality of
wines in all French varieties was superior to that in the new
hybrids. However, the new hybrids (except Hybrid 19/29)
too produced standard quality wines without any noticeable
defect, as indicated by sensory scores. Wines made from
Bangalore Blue grapes are typified by a foxy flavour and
high acidity; But, these characteristics were eliminated from
wines made from hybrids. Sensory panel too pointed to the
unique “fruity and floral aroma” of Hybrid 18/10 wines,
which could be attributed to a perfect mix of the labrusca
flavour of Bangalore Blue with the spicy flavour of ‘Beauty
Seedless’. Phenolic content of wines from this hybrid is also
quite high compared to other wines. Hybrid 25/11 wines
possessed ‘grass-floral’ aroma notes.

Table 3. Biochemical composition and sensory score of red, dry table-wines made from new hybrids and French grape cultivars grown
in mild tropical region of South India
Variety Wine composition *Sensory score

p H Acidity Alcohol Residual Phenolic Volatile Hue Chroma
(% tartaric (%) sugar content acidity value

acid) (mg/l) (mg/l) (% acetic acid)
Hybrid 25/11 3.8 ± 0.0 0.54 ± 0.02 11.3 ± 0.6 250 ± 34 1040 ± 56 0.03 1.00 ± 0.02 0.80 ± 0.00 12.8 ± 2.5
Hybrid 18/10 3.7 ± 0.1 0.42 ± 0.05 12.0 ± 0.5 650 ± 58 2097 ± 42 0.03 0.83 ± 0.03 1.14 ± 0.04 13.1 ± 2.0
Hybrid 19/29 3.5 ± 0.1 0.48 ± 0.04 11.1 ± 0.1 790 ± 69 1230 ± 69 0.03 0.80 ± 0.54 0.32 ± 0.02 11.2 ± 1.3
Hybrid 21/31 3.6 ± 0.2 0.53 ± 0.02 12.0 ± 0.4 190 ± 51 1245 ± 78 0.03 0.32 ± 0.01 0.75 ± 0.03 12.2 ± 1.8
Cabernet Sauvignon 4.2 ± 0.1 0.43 ± 0.03 12.0 ± 0.5 720 ± 47 1354 ± 25 0.01 0.88 ± 0.02 0.43 ± 0.02 16.7 ± 1.4
Shiraz 3.4 ± 0.1 0.48 ± 0.04 11.4 ± 0.5 670 ± 36 735 ± 29 0.01 0.70 ± 0.04 0.30 ± 0.02 16.8 ± 1.5
Pinot Noir 3.5 ± 0.1 0.70 ± 0.04 11.0 ± 0.2 580 ± 18 1080 ± 36 0.05 0.96 ± 0.04 0.98 ± 0.03 16.2 ± 0.7
Data given are Mean ± Standard Deviation of triplicates; *Values are Mean ± Standard Deviation of 10 replicates

Table 4. Composition and sensory score of white, dry table-wines prepared from new white hybrids and French cultivars grown in mild
tropical region of South India
Variety Wine composition Sensory score

p H Acidity Alcohol Residual Phenolic Volatile OD at
(% tartaric (%) sugar content acidity 450nm

acid) (mg/l) (mg/l) (% acetic acid)
Hybrid 22/10 4.0 ± 0.0 0.48 ± 0.03 11.2 ± 0.6 798 ± 39 265 ± 21 0.02 0.258 ± 0.007 12.1 ± 1.2
Hybrid 28/2 4.3 ± 0.1 0.38 ± 0.02 12.0 ± 0.7 768 ± 48 317 ± 32 0.03 0.375 ± 0.008 11.1 ± 1.6
Hybrid 23/2 3.8 ± 0.0 0.41 ± 0.03 11.2 ± 0.4 635 ± 24 363 ± 20 0.04 0.251 ± 0.002 13.4 ± 1.3
Sauvignon Blanc 3.9 ± 0.2 0.49 ± 0.03 12.0 ± 0.5 780 ± 56 460 ± 20 0.04 0.288 ± 0.003 15.9 ± 1.0
Chenin Blanc 3.8 ± 0.1 0.58 ± 0.04 12.0 ± 0.5 569 ± 68 320 ± 25 0.02 0.186 ± 0.004 16.2 ± 0.8
Ugni Blanc 4.0 ± 0.1 0.61 ± 0.02 11.3 ± 0.4 900 ± 35 400 ± 23 0.06 0.230 ± 0.002 15.0 ± 1.7
Data given are Mean ± Standard Deviation of triplicates

Ranjitha et al

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Characteristic composition and sensory scores of
white, dry table-wines prepared from IIHR hybrids and
French wine grape cultivars is presented in Table 4. Hybrid
28/2 possessed high pH, low titratable acidity and lowest
sensory score. Average phenolic content of white wines is
300mg/l (Amerine and Ough, 1982).  Phenolics’ content was
lowest (265mg/l) in Hybrid 22/10. Phenolic content of these
wines can be increased by prolonging skin-juice contact time
during must preparation, as reported earlier in other varieties
(Darias-Martýìn et al, 2000). Sensory scores of the hybrids
were also satisfactory, but had a lower rating than in French
wines. A distinct Muscat flavour in wines from hybrid 23/2
and 28/2 was noted by the judges’ panel in sensory
evaluation.

In all, the results show a potential for newly-developed
grape hybrids developed by Indian Institute of Horticultural
Research, Bengaluru, as useful in wine-making, besides their
use otherwise. Further research is needs for evaluating
general acceptability, standardizing optimal harvest stage,
pressing stage, etc., to enhance sensory properties of the
finished wine. Results of this study also indicate that French
wine varieties produce quality berries and wine under mild
tropical conditions of South India.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The authors thank Dr. A.S. Sidhu, Director, and Dr.

S.D. Shikhamany, Former Director, Indian Institute of
Horticultural Research, Bengaluru, for their encouragement
in wine research work, and Mr. C. Lokesh for helping in
laboratory analysis.

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of Musts and Wines. Wiley Interscience Publications,

New York, p 374
Amerine, M.A., Berg, H.W., Kunkee, R.E., Ough, C.S.,

Singleton, V.L. and Webb, A.D. 1980. Technology of
Wine Making. AVI Publishing Company, Connecticut,
p 790

Chadha, K.L. and Shikhamany, S.D. 1999. The Grape:
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Management. S.D. Malhotra Publishing House, New
Delhi, p 580

Darias-Martýìn, J.J., Rodrýìguez, O., Dýìaz, E. and
Lamuela-Raventós, R.M. 2000.  Effect of skin
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http://indianwine.com/cs/blogs/about_wine/archive/2006/06/
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http://nhb.gov.in/database-2010.pdf. Accessed on 10.10.2011
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(MS Received 23 October 2012, Revised 12 June 2013, Accepted 20 July 2013)

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Evaluation of grapes for wine quality