Effect of SO2 on the formation and evolution of volatile compounds in wines

The aim of this work was to study the influence of SO2 on the formation and later evolution of volatile compounds in wine bottles made from fermentations of sterilized and inoculated must. For this purpose, Parellada must, sterilized and inoculated with Saccharomyces cerevisiae, was fermented with and without SO2. Subsequently, the obtained wines were aged in bottle during 6 months at room temperature with and without SO2. The results show that SO2 hardly had any effect on the formation of volatile compounds during fermentation. However, the wine stored in bottle with SO2 showed a higher concentration of volatile compounds, mainly esters and alcohols, than the wine aged in bottle without SO2.