Phenolic compounds and browning in sherry wines subjected to oxidative andbiological aging

The composition in hydroxybenzoic and hydroxycinnamic acids, hydroxycinnami c esters, tyrosol, syringaldehyde, and flavan-3-ol derivatives of three dif ferent types of sherry wine obtained by aging of the same starting wine und er different conditions was studied, So-called "fino" wine was obtained by biological aging under flor yeasts, "oloroso" wine by oxidative aging, and "amontillado" wine by a first stage of biological aging followed by a secon d oxidative seep. On the basis of the results, the wines subjected to oxida tive aging exhibited higher phenol contents, in addition to scarcely polar compounds absorbing at 420 nm that were absent in the wines obtained by bio logical aging. Taking into account that flavan-3-ol derivatives play an imp ortant role in wine browning, a model catechin solution was inoculated with flor yeast which, contrary to the findings of other authors in the absence of yeasts, formed no colored compounds. This different behavior may accoun t for the resistance to browning of pale sherry wines in the presence of fl or yeasts.