CHEMICAL-COMPOSITION OF WOOD CASKS FOR WINE AGING AS DETERMINED BY PYROLYSIS GC/MS/

Oak and chestnut cask staves were planed to a depth of one centimeter, collecting a sample every millimeter. The samples were ground and sub jected to pyrolysis/gas chromatography/mass spectrometry in order to d etermine their composition. Thirty-six compounds were identified, incl uding a series of typical lignin phenolics commonly considered respons ible for wine taste. All ions found in a previous pyrolysis/mass spect rometry study of oak wood and related to good quality whisky were conf irmed in the mass spectra of the pyrolysis fragments specific for poly saccharides and lignin recorded in the present work. Compared to chest nut wood, oak wood showed significantly higher lignin and syringyl uni t content and less variability as to Lignin composition with depth.