Differences in major volatile compounds of red wines according to storage length and storage conditions

The effect of different ageing conditions on wine aroma compounds was studied. Wines aged under two different conditions (barrel ageing and bottle ageing) and for two different lengths of time (short term and long term) were analysed and the major volatile compounds were quantified. Esters and fatty acids decreased during storage. A cluster analysis showed that wines could be grouped according to the storage time and storage conditions. Step forward discriminant analysis showed that furfural, vanillin, isoamyl acetate and octanoic acid were the variables with the highest discriminant power, permitting a 100% correct classification of the studied samples. (C) 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.