The effect of in-amphorae aging on oenological parameters, phenolic profile and volatile composition of Minutolo white wine

• Minutolo white wine was aged for 12 months in 3 types of amphorae.
• Conventional analyses, gas chromatography, and NMR spectroscopy were applied.
• Wines aged in glazed and engobe amphorae showed the highest antioxidant activity.
• 65 volatile compounds were detected in Minutolo wine.
• The in-amphorae aging is an oenological practice suitable for white wines.

A wine was obtained from cryomacerated Minutolo grapes under reductive conditions and aged for 12 months in glass container and in 3 types of amphorae. After aging, wines in glass containers showed the highest alcohol content, volatile acidity, dissolved oxygen, concentrations of aromatics, alcohols, and esters and by the lowest contents of enols and terpenes. They also showed the highest decrease of flavonoids, hydroxycinnamoyl tartaric acids, and procyanidins. Wines in raw amphorae showed the dramatic decrease of flavonoids and flavans reactive with vanillin. The highest antioxidant activity was exhibited by wines in engobe amphorae, while the lowest values were showed by the wines in glass containers and glazed amphorae. Caftaric acid and procyanidin B3 decreased in wine aged under glass while epicatechin mainly reduced in raw amphorae.According to the Principal Component Analysis, the wines resulted homogeneously grouped as a function of the type of container in which were aged.