RESVERATROL CONTENT OF WINES OF DIFFERENT AGES - RELATIONSHIP WITH FUNGAL DISEASE PRESSURE IN THE VINEYARD

Since the pioneering work of Siemann and Creasy, reporting that resver atrol is present in wine and may protect against heart diseases, much interest has been focused upon this compound which is produced by grap evines in response to fungal infection. We have investigated here the influence of aging on the resveratrol content of wine through the anal ysis of wines of different ages. Resveratrol appears relatively stable in wine. The relationship between the level of resveratrol in a wine and the fungal disease pressure in the vineyard for a given vintage ha s also been examined. it is suggested that conditions leading to infec tion by Botrytis cinerea enhance resveratrol production, but that exte nsive grey mold development may destroy the induced phytoalexin. Thus years with low levels of disease are associated with maximum wine conc entration of resveratrol.