Investigating the Winemaking Potential of Enchantment, a New Vitis Hybrid Teinturier Cultivar

Enchantment is a Vitis hybrid released from the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture winegrape breeding program in 2016. This new teinturier cultivar has potential for producing high-quality wines. The effects of oak addition (no oak, American oak, or French oak) and aging on Enchantment wine attributes were evaluated in 2017 and 2018. Enchantment grapes were harvested in August of both years for wine production. The 2017 and 2018 wines were analyzed initially (0 months) for basic chemistry, anthocyanin, color, and aroma attributes, and 2017 wines were analyzed during storage (0, 6, and 12 months at 15°C) for basic chemistry, anthocyanin, and color attributes. Regardless of oak additions, the initial chemistry of wines in both years was typical for dry wines and remained stable during storage. In both years, malvidin-3-glucoside was the predominant anthocyanin in Enchantment wine, and malvidin-3-glucoside, petunidin-3-glucoside, and delphinidin-3-glucoside comprised >80% of total anthocyanin content. Although anthocyanins decreased during storage, the deep red color of the wine remained stable. In 2018, wines had a deeper, darker red color than in 2017; this corresponded with higher anthocyanin levels in 2018. About 50 volatile aroma compounds were identified in Enchantment wines. There was minimal impact of oak treatment on basic chemistry and anthocyanins, but some impact on color attributes. Oak addition greatly impacted aroma attributes, resulting in wines with oaky, roasted, and caramelized aroma compounds in both years. These results demonstrated the potential of Enchantment winegrapes for producing deeply red-colored, single-varietal wines and blends with oaking and storage potential.