Effect of maturation in small oak casks on the volatility of red wine aroma compounds

Wood maturation of red wine produces complex interactions between oak extracted compounds and pre-existing components in wine. Wood contributes with some aroma volatiles; but the whole volatile fraction, including the volatiles extracted from grape or produced during fermentation, could be involved in interactions with the non-volatile fraction. Samples of red wine with increasing time of wood contact, matured in 25 1 casks of new American oak, were analysed on their volatile composition both in solution and headspace, and phenolic components. There was an increase of acetic acid and acetate esters as the time of wood contact increased. On the other hand, ethyl esters decreased as the time in wood increased. Some volatiles showed different behaviour when comparing their relationship between headspace and solution from two different casks, even though they were treated as replicates. This different evolution among casks was also consistent with different evolution of phenolic compounds, suggesting that there was an interaction among the volatile fraction and phenolic components. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.