Relationship between the Sensory-Determined Astringency and the Flavanolic Composition of Red Wines

• Published in: Journal of agricultural and food chemistry Vol. 60; no. 50; pp. 12355 - 12361
• Main Authors: Quijada-Morín, Natalia, Regueiro, Jorge, Simal-Gándara, Jesús, Tomás, Esperanza, Rivas-Gonzalo, Julián C, Escribano-Bailón, M. Teresa
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Chemical Society 19.12.2012
• Subjects: astringency; Astringents - analysis; Biological and medical sciences; correlation; epicatechin; epigallocatechin; Fermented food industries; Flavonols - analysis; Food industries; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Humans; liquid chromatography; mass spectrometry; polymerization; proanthocyanidins; red wines; Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization; Taste; Wine - analysis; Wines and vinegars; phloroglucinol; proanthocyanidins; tannins; astringency; wine; flavanol; Flavanol; Alcoholic beverage; Polyphenol; Tannin; Astringency; Phloroglucinol; Proanthocyanidin; Red wine; Flavonoid
• ISSN: 0021-8561; 1520-5118
• DOI: 10.1021/jf3044346

The relationship between the proanthocyanidin profile and the perceived astringency was assessed in 13 commercial Tempranillo red wines. The concentration and compositional information were obtained by liquid chromatography with diode array detection coupled to electrospray ionization mass spectrometry after acid-catalyzed depolymerization of wine proanthocyanidins in the presence of excess phloroglucinol. Statistical analysis of the results showed significant correlations between sensory and chemical determinations. Astringency was more affected by the subunit composition than by the total concentration or the average degree of polymerization of wine proanthocyanidins. Higher proportions of epicatechin (EC) subunits in extension positions and gallocatechin (GC) subunits in terminal positions were shown to increase astringency. On the contrary, the amount of epigallocatechin (EGC) in both extension and terminal positions was negatively correlated with the perceived astringency.