India has now moved from table grapes to wine grape production. As per an estimate, during winemaking process almost 0.7 % of total grapes crushed is recovered as red wine lees of wine industry (Basic 2003). Wine lees is not utilized in any form by any industry in our country. The
definition of wine lees given by EEC regulation No. 337/79states that “wine lees is the residue that forms at the bottom of recipients containing wine, after fermentation, during storage or after authorized treatments, as well as the residue obtained following the filtration or centrifugation of this product”. The fine wine lees is a wastage product collected after 2nd racking and doesn’t attract attention of wine industry to make it more feasible by use of this product apart from grape seeds. Unexpectedly, it also shows significant antibacterial properties as well as antioxidant properties from wine lees could include spreads, none caloric thickeners, flavour enhancers, and functional food additive, such as β-glucans. The fine wine lees from fermentation of red grapes is source of natural colour also. Negro et al.(2003) demonstrated that GWL (grape wine lees) exhibited strong antioxidant activity due to its high phenolic contents, and proanthocyanidins in grape seed also had strong antioxidant ability. The lees of red wine which consist of tannins and plant pigments precipitated around crystals of potassium
tartrate can advantageously be used directly as a tonic or demulcent (Edward 2011). Goni et al. (2005) confirmed that the wine lees is abundant of fibers (3 %) and proteins (6 %).
A wine lees consists of natural colour, flavour, phenolic content and starch. The inclusion of phenolic in ice-cream and similar dairy products could bring nutraceutical value, improve sensory properties, stability of product, and improve microbial safety in the ice-cream (O’Connell and Fox 2002). Wine lees contains natural colour and flavour, natural antioxidants
and antibacterial properties, so it can bring itself rheological changes, enhance colour and flavour as well as having health benefits.