Changes in phenolic compounds of Aragon red wines during alcoholic fermentation

Changes in the principal phenolic compounds during the maceration-fermentation process of Garnacha, Merlot and Syrah grapes cultivated in Aragón region (northeast of Spain) have been investigated. While Garnacha is a traditional grape variety cultivated in this region, Merlot and Syrah have been introduced recently. During fermentation, Syrah showed the highest concentration in anthocyanins, flavan-3-ols and flavonols (802.7 ± 0.5 mg/L, 74.7 ± 2.4 mg/L and 37.1 ± 1.5 mg/L at the end of fermentation, respectively). Unexpectedly, Garnacha, a variety with lower phenolic content, showed the highest amount of hydroxycinnamic acids (83.1 ± 5.6 mg/L at the end of fermentation). The overall results also indicated that the evolution during maceration-fermentation process of the different phenolic compounds and their concentrations were influenced by the varietal factor.