Influence of different aging systems and oak woods on aged wine color and anthocyanin composition

Abstract

The evolution of a red wine, Cigales appella- tion in origin, was studied during its storage in three different aging systems (barrels, chips, and staves) made of different kinds of oak wood (American, French, and Hungarian). The results obtained were analyzed in order to determine the content of anthocyanins in wine ac- cording to the aging system used. The studied variables were monoglucosides of delphidin, cyanindin, peonidin, petunidin and malvidin (as acetic and p-coumaric esters), as well as vitisin A, malvidin-3-O-caffeylglucoside, and color variables. The relationship between the antho- cyanins and color variables stressed the importance of these compounds during the formation of pigments char- acteristic of aged wine, and highlighted how they are affected by the aging system chosen. Analysis of the results allowed us to define the evolution of the wine accordingly to the aging system and the botanical species of wood used. Wine treated with chips evolved more quickly than wines treated with the other two systems, because there was a higher loss of antho- cyanins and an increase in brownish tonalities. On the other hand, wine treated with Hungarian oak wood suf- fered a slightly higher loss of anthocyanins than those aged with French and American oak wood.