Evaluation of local guava varieties for quality wine production

Guava (Psidium guajava L.) varieties (Punjab Pink, Arka Amulya and Lucknow-49) were evaluated for wine production. Pre-fermentation treatment using pectinase (3.5 units/mg) was performed under optimized conditions to enhance the juice yield and clarification. The effect of different fermentation parameters, viz. sugar, temperature, inoculum size and DAHP supplementation revealed 25°Brix, 25°C, 9% v/v and 300 mg/100 ml as optimum levels in all the three varieties, with an ethanol production of 13.8, 13.6 and 13.6% v/v in 6, 8 and 8 days for Punjab Pink, Arka Amulya and Lucknow-49, respectively. Post fermentative storage of wine (at 15°C) for 90 days freed the wine off viable yeast cells and led to reduction in ascorbic acid, total phenolics content along with percent decrease in ethanol levels. The prepared wine was subjected to sensory analysis (at 15 and 90 days of storage). The wines prepared from Punjab Pink and Arka Amulya varieties were found to be of standard quality. After storage of 90 days, wine from Punjab Pink scored a superior quality score (68.8 ± 3.27), whereas wines from Arka Amulya and Lucknow-49 scored the same, i.e. of standard and below standard quality (54.2 ± 3.11 and 47.2 ± 2.38, respectively).