The effect of enzyme treatment on polyphenol and cell wall polysaccharide extraction from the grape berry and subsequent sensory attributes in Cabernet Sauvignon wines

•Glycan microarray technology tracked polysaccharide changes during winemaking.•Polyphenols extracted using enzyme maceration were more polymerized and galloylated.•Enzyme-crafted Cabernet Sauvignon wines were more astringent but not more bitter.•Higher polyphenol levels correlated with harder more astringent wines.•Higher arabinogalactan protein levels correlated with softer less astringent wines. Pectolytic enzyme maceration is common for producing red wines, but the effects on bitterness and astringency are not well understood. Glycan microarrays assessed polysaccharide diversity and with polyphenol analysis was correlated with sensory data on descriptors of astringency and their perceived levels in enzyme-crafted Cabernet Sauvignon wines. Enzyme use is shown to have no effect on bitterness, but enzyme-macerated wines are more astringent. The data suggests that pectolytic enzymes are much more pronounced in their effect on the cell wall matrix than the ripeness of the berries at harvest and subsequent sensory perception. Enzyme-macerated red wines showed higher levels of polyphenol which were more polymerized and galloylated. The polyphenol-rich wines were described as hard, chalky, grippy, grainy and dry. The non-enzyme wines had elevated levels of arabinogalactan protein and pectin epitopes (notably biomarker mAbs JIM8 and JIM13) with the wines being characterized as soft, fine and velvety.