, 2007). In addition, red wine is a complex matrix that contains large Selleck PD0325901 quantities of organic materials (phenolics and non-phenolics), inorganic materials (minerals), and enzymes that affect directly the biological activity of the wine. Thus, although we identified the three compounds with the greatest contribution to the antioxidant activity, their concentration is not enough to predict the antioxidant
value of red wines. Table 3 shows that none of the phenolic compounds evaluated in this study could be associated with the sensory difference among clusters. This result indicates that other compounds, especially the volatile ones, may be primarily responsible for sensory differences among wines. AZD2281 chemical structure In this regard, Cejudo-Bastante, Hermosín-Gutiérrez, and Pérez-Coello
(2011) studied the phenolic composition and sensory attributes of Merlot wines from Spain and verified that the phenolics (caffeic, ferulic, and p-coumaric acids, flavonols, and monomeric anthocyanins) in wines that underwent micro-oxygenation and ageing in an American oak barrel for 25 days did not change significantly (p > 0.05). However, the authors noticed that the concentration of aldehydes, alcohols, terpenes, isoprenoids, and benzenic compounds increased significantly (p < 0.05), along with the ROS1 odour and aromatic qualities of these wines. Similarly, Sáenz-Navajas, Campo, Fernández-Zurbano, Valentin, and Ferreira (2010) studied the effect of polyphenols and volatile compounds on the sensory properties of Chardonay and Tempranillo wines and found that polyphenols
are responsible for astringency and bitterness in wines, but had no significant impact on odour, and that taste and astringency are primarily driven by non-volatile molecules in these wines, while global odour intensity depends on the volatile compounds. In a recent study conducted by our group (unpublished data), we verified that the intensity of odours and the overall perception of sensory quality of red wines from South America could be adroitly predicted without the panelists swirling the samples, corroborating the fact that wine odour plays an important and decisive role in wine quality. With the use of multivariate statistical techniques, it was possible to conclude that the red wines in Cluster 2 presented the best combination of sensory characteristics, price and antioxidant activity. The main wines in this cluster were Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Syrah produced in Chile and Argentina.