Relationship between sensory perception, volatile and phenolic components in commercial Spanish red wines from different regions

Polyphenols are an important fraction of the non-volatile components in the red wine matrix, and they are influenced in quantity and composition at al l stages from the grape growing conditions until the time the wine is consu med. Evidence of their interaction with volatiles has been found, and this should affect wine flavour. A range of 12 commercial Spanish red wines from different regions and ages was analysed for their sensory properties, vola tile composition in solution and headspace, and their non-volatile phenolic components. Maturation was the most important effect on sensory perception , while the chemical data showed also individual differences between the wi nes and their regions of production. Headspace volatiles and the phenolic f raction showed better correlations with the sensory perception, but volatil es in solution did not give a good prediction, though there were changes re lated to maturation. Some flavour components showed changes in their volati le behaviour in the matured wines. This supports the hypothesis that change s in the behaviour of the volatile fraction are related to the evolution of phenolic compounds.