Copper in grape and wine industry: Source, presence, impacts on production and human health, and removal methods

Abstract

Heavy metals are of particular concern in grape and wine processing, especially copper. The sources of copper are diverse, including vineyard soil, copper-containing pesticides on the fruit surface, copper wine-making equipment, and exogenous addition in winemaking. Copper has potential risks to human nerves, metabolism, and others. It can inhibit yeast growth, delay fermentation, and also mediate oxidation reactions, which has a huge impact on the nutritional quality and sensory quality of fresh wine and aged wine. It is therefore crucial to detect, quantify, and remove copper from grapes and wine. However, the copper situations in the wine industries of various countries are complicated and diverse, and the existing forms of copper are quite different, which makes the research challenging. This review summarizes and analyzes the existence and influence of copper in the wine industry by analyzing the sources of, the current situation regarding, and the detection and removal methods for copper in wine. With the study, a better understanding of copper's impact on wine production will be gained, facilitating further control of copper in wine and helping the wine industry grow.