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Abstract:
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Knowledge of the chemical composition of wine and its association with the commercial value constitutes an
objective tool to assess quality and can be used as a marketing strategy. Phenolic compounds are very important
quality parameters of wines because of their impact on color, taste and health properties, and together
with polysaccharides contribute to the chemical stability and sensory perception of the products. In this context,
the major aims of the present study were to describe the phenolic and polysaccharidic composition of
Argentinean Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon wines of different price segments, and assessing their impact
on the commercial value. Thirty wines representative of three retail price segments (US$ 5–7, 18–20, and
>40) were evaluated. In general, there was a trend towards greater concentration of these compounds
with increasing the commercial value of wines. Particularly, it was found that general phenolic composition,
color-related compounds, main flavonoid groups and polysaccharides appear as relevant variables differing
among segments and showing some differences between varieties. Additionally, the sensory wine description
was in good agreement with the analytical results. The wines of greater commercial value, with the
best visual and gustatory scores, coincided with higher levels of the phenolic parameters determined. This
study provides an interesting insight, no reported so far, on the impact of phenolic and polysaccharidic composition
in the final quality of the products and therefore in its market value. |