Improvement of the Bioactive Profile in Wines and Its Incidence on Human Health: Technological Strategies

The current lifestyle and the greater awareness of the health benefits of wine are causing an increase in demand for wines with higher levels of bioactive compounds, principally red wine. Scientific evidence supports the benefits of wine, mainly related to their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. This chapter, in its first section, reviews previous studies aiming to elucidate the action mechanisms through which the bioactive compounds act on the human organism in the prevention of diseases. According to the existing literature, studies dealing with specific procedures to enhance the bioactive profile of wines are scarce. Therefore, in the second section, we pay attention to some aspects related with applicable technological strategies during the winemaking process and its incidence in the extraction and stability of bioactive compounds. Furthermore, we discuss some applicable strategies in (i) the vineyard during the vine cultivation and (ii) the raw material level in pre-fermentative stage within winery, as well as, biotechnological strategies during the fermentation and aging. All these are directed to improve the content of bioactive compounds in the wine and, thus, transmit its benefits to the consumer’s health.