On the use of vibrational spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy to study phenolic extractability of cooperage byproducts in wine

Wood is an important source of phenolic compounds, which can be transferred to wine during aging process, improving its properties, from an organoleptic point of view. Therefore, understanding and optimizing the extractability of phenolic compounds from wood are crucial in the oenological field. The structural composition of oak wood samples has been evaluated using Raman and attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared (ATR–FTIR) spectroscopies, and their main spectral features have been linked to phenolic compound extractabilities, as measured by classic chemical analyses. To support the analysis, microscopic images of the samples were also recorded using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The applied methodology is shown to be useful to relate the wood cell wall structure to phenolic extractability levels of wood samples. It could assist in selecting oak wood suited for improving wine quality with regard to its color or/and stability through the addiction of external copigments to wine.