Abstract
Tangible variation of sensory characteristics is often observed in wine aged in similar barrels. Barrel-to-barrel variation in barrel-aged wines was investigated in respect of the most important phenolic compounds of oenological interest. A red wine was aged in 49 medium-toasted oak (Quercus petraea) barrels, from four cooperages, for 12 months. The resulting wines were evaluated for chromatic characteristics, anthocyanin-related parameters, total phenols, flavonoids and non-flavonoids phenols, flavanol monomers, and oligomeric and polymeric proanthocyanidins. PCA and ANOVA were applied to investigate the relationships between barrels and to assess cooperage and individual barrel effect. Three cooperages influenced the wine similarly during aging. Anthocyanin-related parameters showed the highest variation, 25–37%, other phenolics varied 3–8.5%, and with two exceptions, chromatic characteristics changed 1.7–3%. The relationship between the number of barrels and the expected variation for each analytical parameter was calculated, as reference for future measurements involving barrel lots, either in wine production or experimental design.
Highlights
This study presents new insights into the maturation of wine during barrel aging, the phenolic composition of barrel-aged wine and the variation from cooperage to cooperage and from barrel to barrel
It could be shown in this trial that the influence of the individual barrels on the variation from barrel to barrel of wine phenolics and pigments was higher than the influence of the manufacturing cooperage
Chemical parameters analyzed in this study were prone to barrel-to-barrel variation at individual levels, overall ranging from almost zero up to 37% variation
Summary
Wine aging in oak barrels is a traditional and widespread practice in winemaking worldwide. Alternative containers such as stainless-steel tanks, concrete vessels, or polyethylene tanks surpass barrels in some respects, such as price, hygiene, and material homogeneity. Barrels are still firmly established in quality wine production and that is due to their positive influence on the organoleptic quality and complexity of wine [1]. The total amount though is limited and quickly reduced by the extraction process into wine [4]. The extracted substances influence sensations such as astringency and mouthfeel and increasing the aroma intensity and complexity. The storage in barrels accelerates the natural sedimentation of unstable colloidal matter, contributing to wine stability and limpidity [1]
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