CHEMOTAXONOMICAL CLASSIFICATION OF RED TABLE GRAPES BASED ON ANTHOCYANIN PROFILE AND EXTERNAL COLOR

Thirty-two grape varieties with coloured berries grown in a collection vineyard in Murcia were sampled by analysing their pigment content an d external colour. Anthocyanins were separated by HPLC and quantified with the aid of a reversed-phase column and a photodiode detector. Usi ng the content of individual anthocyanins, several indices were calcul ated and linked to hydroxylation, methylation and the esterification p rocesses of the biosynthetic pathway. These colour parameters and indi ces were correlated by means of a principal components analysis. A clu ster analysis split the 32 varieties into nine groups. The similarity of anthocyanin profiles in the varieties within each group enables the use of this technique for chemotaxonomic purposes.