Polyphenol content and total antioxidant activity of Vini novelli (young red wines)

Eight commercial Italian vini novelli (red wines prepared bq. carbonic maceration and supposed to be consumed within three months from their wine-making) were evaluated for their total antioxidant activity. The nines had an average total phenol content (1605.4 +/- 337.4 mg/L gallic acid equivalents) lower than that of nines prepared by traditional maceration and consumable after aging (2057.3 +/- 524.0 mg/L gallic acid equivalents). The average flavanol content (424.7 +/- 121.3 mg/L catechin equivalents) and the total antioxidant activity (16.8 +/- 3.8 mmol/L Trolox equivalents) of vini novelli were higher than the corresponding values (382.7 +/- 174.5 mg/L catechin equivalents and 12.3 +/- 3.3 mmol/L Trolox equivalents) found for aged wines. Three couples of experimental wines were prepared fi om the same grapes by traditional or carbonic maceration. These nines showed a different phenolic pattern, anthocyanins being more abundant in vini novelli. However, the average total antioxidant activities of the nines were similar, suggesting that aging (and not the nine-making technique) is the main factor influencing the antioxidant activity of red wines.