JP7784705B2 - Non-alcoholic sparkling wine-like drink - Google Patents

Description

This invention relates to a non-alcoholic sparkling wine-like beverage.

Various proposals have been made for non-alcoholic wine-like beverages.

Patent Document 1 proposes a non-alcoholic wine made using cold-brewed green tea extract as the main ingredient and adding fruit juice.

Patent Document 2 proposes a non-alcoholic wine-like beverage made from grape juice and black tea extract.

Patent Document 3 proposes a non-alcoholic beverage containing rooibos tea extract.

JP 2011-147386 A JP 2012-187050 A Patent No. 6543017

The purpose of this invention is to propose a non-alcoholic sparkling wine-like beverage that has a wine-like fermented flavor and a pleasant taste.

When preparing a non-alcoholic wine-like beverage, it is possible to create a beverage with a wine-like fermented flavor by using fermented fruit juice as the raw material.

On the other hand, as mentioned above, if a wine-like beverage is prepared using fermented fruit juice as an ingredient, it is likely that the resulting wine-like beverage will have the stuffy, unpleasant taste that is unique to fermented fruit juice.

The inventors of the present application discovered that by using fermented fruit juice as an ingredient, it is possible to create a beverage with a wine-like fermented flavor, while at the same time improving the stuffiness and discomfort that is unique to fermented fruit juice by using black tea extract as an ingredient, and by adjusting the carbon dioxide content, it is possible to prepare a non-alcoholic sparkling wine-like beverage that has the flavor of sparkling wine, thereby completing the present invention.

That is, the non-alcoholic sparkling wine-like beverage according to the present invention is
Fermented juice, converted into concentrated and reduced juice, is 20 w/v% to 140 w/v%,
The black tea extract is contained in an amount of 0.000038 w/v% to 0.00232 w/v% in terms of tannin,
A non-alcoholic sparkling wine-like beverage with a carbon dioxide content of 1.0 gas volume (GV) to 5.0 gas volumes (GV).

In this specification, a wine-like beverage refers to a beverage that has the taste, flavor, and aroma of wine and gives the drinker the sensation of drinking wine. Wine-like beverages may be, for example, those classified as fruit wine, sweet fruit wine, or liqueur under the Japanese Liquor Tax Act (Act No. 6 of February 28, 1953).

The non-alcoholic sparkling wine-like beverage of the present invention is a wine-like beverage that is substantially alcohol-free and falls within the concept of an alcohol-flavored beverage that is substantially alcohol-free. Under the Liquor Tax Act, the alcohol concentration of a non-alcoholic beverage is defined as less than 1% ethyl alcohol by volume per 100% of the original volume at a temperature of 15°C, and the non-alcoholic sparkling wine-like beverage of the present invention satisfies this condition.

The non-alcoholic sparkling wine-like beverage of the present invention has effervescence. In this specification, effervescence means that the gas pressure at 20°C is 0.01 MPa or more.

The non-alcoholic sparkling wine-like beverage of the present invention can be produced by blending fermented fruit juice at 20 w/v% to 140 w/v% (after reconstitution from concentrate) and black tea extract at 0.000038 w/v% to 0.00232 w/v% (tannin equivalent) in the beverage, adjusting with purified water, and absorbing carbon dioxide to a content of 1.0 gas volume (GV) to 5.0 gas volumes (GV).

Fermented fruit juices that can be used include grapes, apples, lemons, citrus fruits, berries, pineapple, pears, peaches, and kiwifruit.

This invention makes it possible to provide a non-alcoholic sparkling wine-like beverage that has a wine-like fermented flavor and a pleasant taste.

The following studies were conducted to prepare a non-alcoholic sparkling wine-like beverage with a wine-like fermented flavor and a pleasant taste.

<Evaluation and examination test 1>
The wine-like flavor produced by using fermented grape juice and white grape juice was evaluated and examined as follows.

The following procedure was used to evaluate the difference in wine flavor between using non-fermented fruit juice and fermented fruit juice as ingredients in preparing wine-like beverages.

Refinement of Table 3, Article 2, of the Food Labeling Standards for Reduced Fruit Juice, with a refractometer reading of 11 for grapes, and a Brix of 11 was defined as the value when reduced to 100%.

As described above, fermented grape juice concentrate and white grape juice concentrate were each diluted with purified water to a Brix of 11. Six panelists tasted these and evaluated the wine sensation of each.

The wine flavor was evaluated by six panelists on a 5-point scale as follows, with "very strong flavor" being given a score of 5 and "hardly any flavor" being given a score of 1.

Wine flavor rating: Very strong 5
I feel strongly 4
Feel 3
Somewhat felt 2
Hardly felt 1

The average tasting scores of six panelists for the fermented grape juice concentrate and white grape juice concentrate samples were as follows:

Average score: Fermented grape juice 4.2
(Unfermented) white grape juice 1.0

This evaluation and examination test 1 suggests that using fermented fruit juice as an ingredient in preparing a wine-like beverage can produce a beverage with a significantly stronger wine-like flavor than using non-fermented fruit juice.

<Evaluation and examination test 2>
The following tests were conducted to evaluate and examine the stuffiness and discomfort peculiar to fermented grape juice when fermented grape juice was used, and the stuffiness and discomfort peculiar to fermented grape juice when black tea extract was used to suppress the stuffiness and discomfort, as well as the black tea feel.

The above-mentioned Evaluation and Examination Test 1 indicated that using fermented fruit juice as an ingredient when preparing a wine-like beverage is desirable for preparing a beverage with a wine-like flavor. However, if fermented fruit juice is used as an ingredient when preparing a fruit juice beverage, etc., the resulting fruit juice beverage may have the stuffy, unpleasant taste that is unique to the fermented fruit juice used as an ingredient.

Therefore, when fermented fruit juice is used as an ingredient in preparing a wine-like beverage, we evaluated how the addition of black tea extract would affect the stuffiness and discomfort that is unique to fermented fruit juice in the prepared beverage.

In this case, we also evaluated how the inclusion of black tea extract as an ingredient affected the black tea flavor of the prepared beverage.

Fermented grape juice concentrate was reconstituted with purified water in the same manner as in Evaluation and Examination Test 1, up to blend ratios of 10 w/v%, 20 w/v%, 50 w/v%, 120 w/v%, 140 w/v%, and 150 w/v%, and each of these was mixed with black tea extract at tannin amounts of 0.000019 w/v%, 0.000038 w/v%, 0.00096 w/v%, 0.00232 w/v%, and 0.0029 w/v%. The six panelists who conducted the tasting evaluation in Evaluation and Examination Test 1 tasted the drinks and evaluated them for their wine-like fermented flavor, stuffy/unpleasant feeling of the juice, and black tea flavor.

The wine sensation was evaluated by six panelists on a five-point scale using the same method used in Evaluation and Examination Test 1.

Regarding the stuffiness and discomfort of the fruit juice, six panelists rated it on a 5-point scale as follows, with "very strong sensation" being given a score of 5 and "hardly noticeable sensation" being given a score of 1.

Fruit juice stuffiness/discomfort Rating score: Very strong 5
I feel strongly 4
Feel 3
Somewhat felt 2
Hardly felt 1

The tea flavor was evaluated by six panelists on a 5-point scale, with "very strong" being given a score of 5 and "hardly any flavor" being given a score of 1.

Tea flavor rating: Very strong 5
I feel strongly 4
Feel 3
Somewhat felt 2
Hardly felt 1

The average tasting scores of six panelists for each black tea extract (tannin content) blend ratio in the six blend ratios of fermented grape concentrate described above are shown in Tables 1 to 6 below.

Regarding the wine-like fermented flavor, an average rating of 3.00 or higher indicates that the wine flavor is noticeable to strong. Therefore, in order to obtain a non-alcoholic wine-like beverage with a wine-like fermented flavor and good flavor, it was determined that it is preferable to incorporate fermented fruit juice at a concentration of 20 w/v% to 150 w/v% after reconstitution from concentrate.

With regard to the stuffiness/unpleasant feeling of fruit juice, an average rating of 3.00 indicates a "stuffiness/unpleasant feeling of fruit juice," and so if an average rating of less than 3.00 is considered preferable, among the preferred blend ratios of fermented fruit juice mentioned above, when the blend ratio of fermented fruit juice is 140 w/v% and the blend ratio of black tea extract tannin equivalent is 0.000019 w/v%, the average rating is 3.50, which is undesirable. At a blend ratio of 150 w/v% fermented fruit juice and the blend ratio of black tea extract tannin equivalent is 0.0029 w/v%, the average rating is only 2.83, and it was confirmed that all other blend ratios were undesirable, with an average rating of 3.00 or above.

From these evaluations, it was determined that within the preferred range of fermented fruit juice blending ratios mentioned above (fermented fruit juice blended at 20 w/v% to 150 w/v% converted to the reconstituted form of concentrate), the blending ratio of black tea extract converted to tannins should preferably be 0.000038 w/v% or higher in order to suppress the "stuffiness and discomfort caused by fruit juice."

However, when the fermented juice is blended at 150 w/v% after reconstitution from concentrate, it was found that the "stuffiness and discomfort caused by the fruit juice" was not sufficiently suppressed if the blending ratio of black tea extract tannins was 0.00232 w/v% or less.

For the black tea flavor, an average rating of 3.00 indicates a "black tea flavor," so if an average rating of less than 3.00 is considered preferable, within the preferred range of fermented fruit juice blend ratios mentioned above (20 w/v% to 150 w/v% fermented fruit juice, calculated as reconstituted from concentrate) and the preferred black tea extract tannin blend ratio (0.000038 w/v% or higher), the average rating of "black tea flavor" was 3.00 or higher at a black tea extract tannin blend ratio of 0.0029 w/v%, regardless of whether the fermented fruit juice blend ratio was 20 w/v%, 50 w/v%, or 120 w/v%.

At blending ratios of 140 w/v% and 150 w/v%, the average rating for "black tea flavor" was less than 3.00 when the blending ratio, calculated as black tea extract tannins, was 0.0029 w/v%. However, at blending ratios of 150 w/v%, when the blending ratio, calculated as black tea extract tannins, was 0.00232 w/v% or less, the "stuffiness and discomfort of the fruit juice" was not sufficiently suppressed. At blending ratios of 20 w/v%, 50 w/v%, and 120 w/v%, the tannins of the black tea extract were not suppressed. Since the average rating for "black tea flavor" was 3.00 or higher at a blending ratio of 0.0029 w/v% in tannin equivalent, it was determined that in order to manufacture and sell a non-alcoholic wine-like beverage with a wine-like fermented flavor to be offered to the market, it is desirable to blend fermented fruit juice at a ratio of 20 w/v% to 140 w/v% in terms of reconstituted concentrate, and to blend black tea extract at a tannin-equivalent ratio of 0.000038 w/v% to 0.00232 w/v%.

From the above Evaluation and Examination Test 2, it was determined that blending fermented fruit juice at 20 w/v% to 140 w/v% (equivalent to the reconstituted concentrate) and black tea extract at 0.000038 w/v% to 0.00232 w/v% (equivalent to tannins) is desirable for preparing a wine-like beverage that exhibits a good wine-like fermented flavor and suppresses the stuffy and unpleasant flavor of fruit juice.

<Evaluation and examination test 3>
Fermented grape juice was used, and carbon dioxide gas was used to obtain a refreshing sparkling wine-like sensation. Evaluation and testing were carried out as follows to determine the carbonation and refreshing sensation.

Next, the beverages containing fermented fruit juices that had shown favorable results in the above evaluation tests were evaluated for their carbonated sensation and refreshing feeling due to their carbon dioxide content, as follows:

The fermented grape juice concentrate was reduced using purified water in the same manner as in Evaluation and Examination Test 1, with blend ratios of 20 w/v%, 50 w/v%, 120 w/v%, and 140 w/v%, and each of these was allowed to absorb carbon dioxide up to gas volumes (GV) of 0, 0.1, 1, 3, and 5, respectively, and a tasting evaluation was conducted by the six panelists who had conducted the tasting evaluation in Evaluation and Examination Tests 1 and 2.

The refreshing feeling was evaluated by six panelists on a 5-point scale as follows, with "very strong feeling" being given a score of 5 and "hardly any feeling" being given a score of 1.

Refreshing feeling Rating score: Very strong 5
I feel strongly 4
Feel 3
Somewhat felt 2
Hardly felt 1

The average scores of the six panelists tasting the carbon dioxide absorption amounts for the four blend ratios of fermented grape juice concentrate mentioned above are shown in Tables 7 to 10 below.

Regarding the sparkling wine-like refreshing sensation, an average rating of 3.00 or higher indicates a pleasant to strong refreshing sensation. Therefore, in order to obtain a non-alcoholic sparkling wine-like beverage that has a wine-like fermented feel, a good flavor, and a refreshing sparkling wine-like sensation, this Evaluation and Examination Test 3 concluded that a carbon dioxide content of 1.0 gas volume (GV) to 5.0 gas volume (GV) is preferable when the fermented fruit juice is blended at 20 w/v% to 140 w/v% (equivalent to the reconstituted concentration).

<Evaluation and examination test 4>
As a result of the above-mentioned evaluation and investigation tests 1 to 3, it was confirmed that a non-alcoholic sparkling wine-like beverage having a wine-like fermented taste, a good flavor, and a refreshing sensation similar to sparkling wine can be prepared by blending fermented fruit juice at 20 w/v% to 140 w/v% (equivalent to the concentration after reconstitution) and black tea extract at 0.000038 w/v% to 0.00232 w/v% (equivalent to tannins), and adjusting the carbon dioxide content to a range of 1.0 gas volumes (GV) to 5.0 gas volumes (GV), as follows.

That is, the same evaluation tests as described above were conducted to evaluate the wine-like fermented feeling, stuffy/unpleasant feeling of fruit juice, and refreshing feeling when the following blending ratios were used.

Fermented grape juice concentrate was reconstituted with purified water in the same manner as in Evaluation and Investigation Test 1 up to blend ratios of 20 w/v%, 50 w/v%, and 120 w/v%, and black tea extract was added to each of these at the tannin blend ratios shown in Table 11 below. Carbon dioxide was then absorbed to the concentration shown in Table 11 below, and a tasting evaluation was conducted by the six panelists who had conducted the tasting evaluations in Evaluation and Investigation Tests 1, 2, and 3.

The wine sensation was evaluated by panelists on a 5-point scale using the same method used in Evaluation and Examination Test 1.

The stuffiness/unpleasantness of the fruit juice and the taste of the black tea were evaluated by the panelists on a 5-point scale using the same methods used in Evaluation and Examination Test 2 for the stuffiness/unpleasantness of the fruit juice and the taste of the black tea.

The refreshing sparkling wine-like sensation was evaluated by panelists on a 5-point scale using the same method used to evaluate refreshing sensation in Evaluation and Examination Test 3.

The average tasting scores of six panelists for the blending ratios of each black tea extract (tannin content) and each carbon dioxide absorption amount for the three blending ratios of fermented grape concentrate mentioned above are shown in Table 11 below.

Evaluation and Examination Test 4 confirmed that blending fermented fruit juice at 20 w/v% to 140 w/v% (after reconstitution from concentrate) and black tea extract at 0.000038 w/v% to 0.0023 w/v% (tannin equivalent), with a carbon dioxide content of 1.0 gas volumes (GV) to 5.0 gas volumes (GV), provides a good wine-like fermented feel, suppresses the stuffiness and discomfort of the fruit juice, and is favorable for providing a refreshing sparkling wine-like sensation.

The above-mentioned evaluation and investigation tests 1 to 4 confirmed that using fermented fruit juice as an ingredient makes it possible to produce a beverage with a wine-like fermented feel, while at the same time improving the stuffiness and discomfort that is unique to fermented fruit juice by using black tea extract as an ingredient, and adjusting the carbon dioxide content to produce a non-alcoholic sparkling wine-like beverage with a sparkling wine feel.

That is,
In a beverage or food composition,
Fermented juice, converted into concentrated and reduced juice, is 20 w/v% to 140 w/v%,
The black tea extract is contained in an amount of 0.000038 w/v% to 0.00232 w/v% in terms of tannin,
By creating a non-alcoholic sparkling wine-like beverage with a carbon dioxide content of 1.0 gas volume (GV) to 5.0 gas volumes (GV),
It has a wine-like fermented feel,
The fermented juice used as an ingredient prevents the stuffiness and discomfort that is unique to fermented juice.
A sparkling wine-like non-alcoholic wine beverage with improved flavor can be provided.

The range of the blending amount of the fermented fruit juice and the range of the blending amount of the black tea extract in the beverage or food composition are as follows:
By using fermented fruit juice as an ingredient, we effectively utilize the mechanism of creating a beverage with a wine-like fermented flavor.
The inclusion of black tea extract is designed to suppress the stuffiness and discomfort that is unique to fermented fruit juice, which is used as an ingredient, while also suppressing the black tea flavor that comes from the inclusion of black tea extract.

In addition, the carbon dioxide content mentioned above is
By blending fermented fruit juice and black tea extract within the above-mentioned range, the above-mentioned effects and mechanisms can be exerted, and the beverage can also have the feel of sparkling wine.

Fermented white grape juice was blended at 100 w/v, black tea extract at a tannin content of 0.0015 w/v%, and purified water was added. Carbon dioxide was absorbed into this mixture to achieve 3.5 gas volumes (GV), producing the non-alcoholic sparkling wine-like beverage of this example.

The prepared non-alcoholic sparkling wine-like beverage was subjected to a similar tasting evaluation by the six panelists who had conducted the tasting evaluations in the above-mentioned evaluation and investigation tests 1 to 4. They rated the beverage as having a wine-like fermented feel, a good flavor, and a refreshing sparkling taste.

The above describes embodiments and examples of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments and examples, and various modifications are possible within the technical scope understood from the claims.

Claims (1)

Fermented grape juice, converted into concentrated and reduced juice, is 20 w/v% to 140 w/v%,
The black tea extract is contained in an amount of 0.000038 w/v% to 0.00232 w/v% in terms of tannin,
Carbon dioxide content: 1.0 gas volume (GV) to 5.0 gas volume (GV)
A non-alcoholic sparkling wine-like drink.