EFFECT OF FRUIT MATURITY ON YIELD, COMPOSITION AND QUALITY OF JUICE AND WINE FROM GRAPES

The study examines the effect of fruit maturity on the yield, composit ion and quality of juice and wine from three local (Chholtu red, Chhol tu white, and Rangspay) and two exotic cultivars (Thompson seedless an d Anab-e-Shahi). As expected, berry weight, bunch weight,juice yield, TSS, pH, sugars, brix/acid ratio increased, whereas tannins and total titratable acidity decreased during maturation. The juice of exotic cu ltivars from second harvest (soluble solids: acid ratio of 27-36, pH 3 .28-3.52) was acceptable while the one from local cultivars rated unac ceptable for drinking as a pure juice due to high astringency. However , good quality wine could be obtained from third harvest grapes in all the cultivars. Thompson seedless cultivar recorded highest fermentati on rate and alcohol content. Local cultivars were not found to be suit able for the production of pure juice at any stage of harvest but coul d be successfully utilized for wine making because of high sugars, goo d colour, and flavour at the third maturity stage.