A study of the volatile fraction of Assyrtiko wines, using gas chromatography coupled with olfactometry, was realized. Twenty-seven volatile compounds were identified as potent odorants, most of them originating from the fermentation process. Quantification of the major volatile compounds was realized developing a rapid analytical method based on fractionation of a 50 mL wine aliquot using C 18-reversed phase adsorbent. After elution of the volatile compounds with pentane-diethyl ether and concentration under nitrogen, the final wine extract was injected in a gas chromatography-flame ionization detection system. The method allows satisfactory determination of more than 15 volatile compounds of wine. The linearity of the method gave a typical r (2) between 0.990 and 0.999, while reproducibility ranged from 5.1 to 12.2% (as relative standard deviation) with 9.5% as the average. The method was applied to wines produced by Assyrtiko grapes (AOC Santorini), for two consecutive years, to compare the effect of skin contact prior to fermentation and the must clarification process. Direct press and skin contact wines were differentiated analytically; however, highly significant differences were not. Inversely, the differences found between direct press/clarified and nonclarified wines were significant. Wines produced by direct press and clarified must presented significantly higher levels of ethylic esters and fusel alcohol acetates but lower fusel alcohol levels, leading probably to more fruity wines. This difference, between clarified and nonclarified grape musts, was not significant in the case of the wines produced by skin contact of Assyrtiko berries. These findings were validated by preference sensory analysis tests.

SUMMARYA fast and simple method for analysing volatile compounds in Asyrtiko wines has been developed, with good reproducibility and suitability for routine analysis, and which is able to quantify many of the major odorant compounds in a single chromatographic run. The method allows satisfactory determination of fusel alcohols and their acetates, short-chain fatty acids and their ethyl esters. The linear dynamic range of the method covers the normal range of occurrence of analytes in wine, with typical r values of 0·992–0·999. Reproducibility ranges from 0·036 to 0·092 (as relative standard deviation; RSD). The method was applied for two consecutive years to wines from cv. Asyrtiko from Santorini, in order to establish the effect of pre-fermentative cryomaceration on the odorant compound levels of the resulting wines. Pre-fermentative cryomaceration significantly increased the levels of hexan-1-ol for both the vintages studied, while hexanoic acid and 2-phenylethyl acetate levels were higher in the classical vinification samples. The vintage (year) effect was important. Difference tests revealed significant differences between the samples using sensory analysis tests but preference tests did not reveal any preference for one or other treatment.