HYDROXYLATED STILBENES IN SELECTED AMERICAN WINES

Hydroxylated stilbene contents of a number of commercial American red wines were determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Six sti lbenols were eluted. Two of these were identified as cis and trans iso mers of 3,5,4'-trihydroxystilbene (resveratrol), while the others were tentatively identified as mono-, di-, tri-, and tetrahydroxystilbenes . cis- and trans-resveratrol were present in the wines at concentratio ns ranging from 0.1 to 31.9 ppm for cis and from 0.0 to 13.4 ppm for t rans. The concentrations of resveratrol in wines made from Vitis rotun difolia (muscadine) grapes were higher (P > 0.05) than those present i n wines made from Vitis vinifera and Vitis labruscana grapes. Tetrahyd roxy contents of Muscadine and Concord wine were, in general, lower th an that of the V. vinifera wines. A method for analyzing hydroxylated stilbene compounds in wine by flame ionization detection is reported.