CHANGES IN BIOGENIC-AMINES CONTENT IN MUS TS AND WINES DURING THE WINEMAKING PROCESS

To ascertain the origin of biogenic amines in wine, samples were taken in eighteen sites of the Vallee du Rhone, to determine the changes in biogenic amines contents during the winemaking, in musts, at the end of the alcoholic and malolactic fermentations, in marcs and lees, and during the wine ageing process. The biogenic amines contents were dete rmined in each sample by HPLC with precolumn derivatization and fluori metric detection. Even if most of these amines appear during the alcoh olic fermentation, high levels of putrescine, histamine, methylamine a nd tyramine are developed during malolactic fermentation and wine agei ng process, On the other hand, isoamylamine and phenylethylamine are r ather linked to alcoholic fermentation, Very low levels of cadaverine were found in these wines. Lees and marcs can contain high levels of b iogenic amines.