Influence of Wine Turbidity on the Accumulation of Volatile Compounds from the Oak Barrel

Abstract

In this work the influence of the turbidity of a red wine aged in oak barrels on the accumulation of volatile compounds has been studied. From the results obtained, it may be concluded that the wine turbidity had an effect on the concentration of many of the oak volatile compounds, especially furanic and phenolic compounds. In all cases the concentrations of furanic aldehydes and vanillin were significantly higher (p < 0.01) in the filtered wine than in the unfiltered wine. However, in the unfiltered wine the concentrations of gamma-butyrolactone and eugenol were higher. This difference in the concentrations would be due to the different compositions of the wines and the binding of compounds to some components of the lees. Likewise, it has been observed that the composition of the lees is fundamental in the binding of volatile compounds to the lees as the fermentative lees behave differently from the lees from the wine aging in barrels.

Volatile Compounds and Sensorial Characterization of Wines from Four Spanish Denominations of Origin, Aged in Spanish Rebollo (Quercus pyrenaica Willd.) Oak Wood Barrels

“…These data outline the possibility of utilizing Q. pyrenaica oak as an alternative to other oak woods, but more data are necessary to better understand its behavior during wine aging. Thus, wine characteristics such as grape variety, alcoholic degree, pH, redox potential, and turbidity − have been recently studied as decisive factors that determine the final concentration of the wood-extracted compounds in wine.…”