Multivariate analysis of the polyphenol composition of Tempranillo and Graciano red wines

Vitis vinifera L. cv Graciano is often used as a blending partner of Tempranillo based wines because it is considered to contribute significantly to the quality. The aim of this study is to discriminate between Tempranillo and Graciano monovarietal wines, and those made by the incorporation of 20% of Graciano variety in two different stages (at the end of malolactic fermentation and mixing the two grape varieties in the pre-fermentative maceration stage) of the winemaking process of the Tempranillo variety. To achieve this, supervised and unsupervised pattern recognition tools were applied to the data obtained in the study of the detailed polyphenolic composition, colour and other oenological parameters (143 variables). Patterns related to stages in the winemaking and ageing process, different wines and vintages can be observed using principal component analyses. Furthermore, linear discriminant analysis has been applied in order to characterise the wine samples. From the 143 variables, flavan-3-ols have exerted a profound influence on wine differentiation.