Influence of wood origin in the polyphenolic composition of a Spanish red wine aging in bottle, after storage in barrels of Spanish, French and American oak wood

In this paper, the changes in the composition of a red wine obtained from Tempranillo grapes (Vitis vinifera L.), stored from 12 to 24 months in bottles were studied. The wine was previously aging for 21 months in barrels made of Spanish oak wood (Quercus spp.). The changes of chromatic data, global polyphenolic families assessment (polyphenols, catechins, proanthocyanidins and anthocyanins) and individually polyphenols by HPLC during their storage time in bottles were studied and compared with these of the same wine aged in barrels made of French oak and American oak and stored in bottle for 24 months. Samples of wines obtained after 12 months in bottle were also compared with those after 24 months. The stepwise discriminant analysis with data of chromatic parameters and global polyphenolic families indicates that the wines aged in Spanish and French oak wood barrels, after 24 months stored in bottle, have similar characteristics, but they are significantly different to those of wines aged in barrels made of American oak wood. Regarding the analysis of individually non-anthocyanic polyphenols, discriminant analysis shows that wines stored for 24 months in bottle, aged in barrels made of Spanish, French and American oak woods, show overlapping results, while those from wines after 12 months in bottle are more dispersed. The discriminant analysis carried out on anthocyanidin concentrations of wines stored 24 months in bottles has shown three groups according the kind of wood used, indicating that wines aged in Spanish and French oak barrels are much more similar in anthocyanidin concentrations than those aged in the American barrels. © Springer-Verlag 2007.