Pomegranate Wine Production and Quality: A Comprehensive Review

Abstract

Food and beverages with healthy and functional properties, especially those that prevent chronic diseases, are receiving considerable interest among consumers and researchers. Among the products with enhanced properties, fermented beverages from non-grape wines have a high potential for growth. Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) is a super fruit known for its richness in bioactive compounds that have been reported to have several therapeutic properties against non-communicable diseases. Diverse products can be obtained from the valorization of pomegranate fruit, including wines, supplements, dried arils, juices, vinegar, and syrup. There is no literature evidence of the optimization of the fermentation processes of pomegranate juice that explores the relationships between multiple factors and their interactions. This review provides an overview of the composition of pomegranate fruit and the related health benefits for human health. It also discusses the ways in which pomegranate wine fermentation is impacted by pre-fermentation and fermentation factors. Additionally, it highlights the different subjective and objective techniques for analyzing pomegranate wine quality and the advancement of technologies such as sensors to replace traditional methods of sensory evaluation. It provides comprehensive insights into how different fermentation factors interact and can improve the bioprocess, leading to the production of high-quality wine.