Abstract
The São Francisco Valley in the Brazilian Northeast is characterized by the production of tropical wines from grapes obtained from at least two annual harvests. Previous studies showed that wines made with grapes harvested from the second semester (summer season, with high temperatures and solar radiation, as well as low rainfall) presented a shorter shelf-life than those made from grapes harvested in the first semester (winter season). This study aimed to characterize the changes in the chemical composition of three red wines from the summer season, during aging. Wines elaborated with grapes harvested between November and December 2014, with the main red varieties commercially used, were analyzed 12, 24 and 36 months after bottling. Decreases occurred in the concentrations of anthocyanins, flavonols, organic acids, potassium, and condensed tannins, as well as increases in polymerized pigments, hue, turbidity, and calcium. Flavanols and flavonols were associated with Syrah and Touriga Nacional wines, while myricetin was the metabolite considered to be the main indicator of the aging of ‘Alicante Bouschet’ wines. Rootstock vigor was affected by variety. This study showed that the choice of rootstock and variety combination could increase the wine stability after bottling, using grapes harvested from the second semester.
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