# Influence of Aging Technologies on the Volatile Profile Composition of Carignano cv Red Wines in Sardinia

## TL;DR

This study examines how different aging technologies affect the aroma compounds in Carignano red wines from Sardinia over time.

## Contribution

The research identifies specific chemical changes in wine aroma influenced by aging containers and time.

## Key findings

- Plastic vats showed the highest increase in total VOC concentration after 12 months of aging.
- Oak barrels showed a decrease in VOC concentration, but the change was not statistically significant.
- PCA analysis revealed that aging containers had a stronger influence on wine composition at 6 months than at 12 months.

## Abstract

Wine aroma is the result of the association of numerous volatile and non-volatile compounds belonging to the grapes, the fermentation, and aging process. During aging, wines complete their complex composition, and many aromas emerge. Therefore, aging represents a fundamental step to obtaining high-quality wines. Aromas belong directly to the odorless precursor in grapes or to the aging technology used. Analyses have been performed on wines obtained from the cv Carignano subjected to four aging technologies: stainless-steel tank, plastic vat, concrete vat, and oak barrel. GC/FID and GC/MS analysis allowed the identification of 78 significant compounds belonging to eight different chemical classes. Volatile composition in the various containers was assessed at two levels: chemical classes and individual compounds. At 12 months, plastic vats had the highest increase in the total VOC concentration (p < 0.05), followed by concrete and stainless steel. In contrast, oak barrels showed a decrease, although the difference was not statistically significant (p > 0.05). Unsupervised principal component analysis (PCA) demonstrated that the container exerts a more substantial influence at 6 months, while at 12 months, the samples were categorized irrespective of the container. In the loading plot, several esters, acids, lactones, and aldehydes showed negative loadings on PC1 (associated with time), indicating a correlation with the 12-month collection time.