Linking ATR-FTIR and Raman features to phenolic extractability and other attributes in grape skin

The importance of wine phenolics on the sensory characteristic of red wines is well-known. Therefore, it is necessary to control the extractability of phenolic compounds from grape skins, which depends significantly on grape ripeness and hence, on cell wall degradation. In the present study, attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) and Raman spectra of grape skin have been recorded. Then, these spectral matrices have been studied and the main spectral features have been linked to extractabilities of phenolic compounds (anthocyanins, flavanols and total phenols). Moreover, spectral differences between external and internal grape skin surfaces also have been studied. It has been confirmed that the amount of polysaccharides and the degree of esterification of pectins have significant influence on the phenolic extractability levels of grape skin tissue.