Polyphenols and colour variability of red wines made from grapes harvested at different ripeness grade

Several red wines were elaborated in order to study the influence of the grape harvesting date (degree of maturity of the grape) on their chromatic characteristics and polyphenolic contents. Wines made from two grape varieties, at three different harvesting dates and from two consecutive vintages, were selected for this study. The results showed that the harvesting date of grapes (directly correlated with the degree of maturity of the grapes), influenced the chromatic characteristics of the wines, although their polyphenolic compositions were clearly different, especially in Cabernet Sauvignon wines. In general, higher intensities of blue or violet tones were detected in wines made from the grapes collected on the second harvesting date, in which the ratios anthocyanins/proanthocyanidins and anthocyanins/(proanthocyanidins + catechins) were the lowest. These ratios are proposed as probable indicators of the aptitude for wine ageing.No significant differences were observed between the levels of the phenolic compounds or between the chromatic characteristics of the wines from both vintages.