Influence of winemaking techniques on proanthocyanidin extraction in Monastrell wines from four different areas

The effect of two low pre-fermentative temperature techniques (cold soak and must freezing with dry ice) using two macerating enzymes was studied during the vinification of Monastrell wines from four different areas (Caada del Judio, Caada de Albatana, Montealegre and Chaparral) belonging to two Denomination of Origins (Jumilla and Bullas), to assess their influence on wine proanthocyanidin concentration and composition. When the control wines were compared, Chaparral wine showed the lowest proanthocyanidin content, together with the lowest mDP and the highest degree of galloylation in its proanthocyanidins, suggesting that the most of the proanthocyanidins in wine had been extracted from the grape seeds. However, Caada de Albatana wines showed the highest proanthocyanidin content. Different results were found in the four areas when the oenological treatments were applied to the grapes. In Caada de Albatana wines, no treatment had any effect, while in the case of Montealegre wines, the cold treatments led to a higher proanthocyanidin content compared with the control wines. In Caada del Judio and Chaparral wines, all the treatments increased the proanthocyanidin content, except when galactoside was used in Chaparral wines, when the results were even lower than for the control wines. Discriminant analyses were applied to check whether the different areas influenced the wine proanthocyanidin profile. The results showed a clear separation between the four plots, suggesting that the proanthocyanidin wine composition was related to the zone where grapes were cultivated.