Anthocyanin Profiles and Color Parameters of Fourteen Grapes and Wines

Abstract

This study examined the anthocyanin composition and color characteristics of 14 wine grape cultivars and their wines. Grapes and wines from 'Dornfelder', 'Dunkelfelder', and 'Malbec' cultivars exhibited significantly higher total phenolic contents. At harvest, 'Dornfelder' and 'Dunkelfelder' grapes had the highest anthocyanin content. Similarly, 'Petit Verdot' and 'Dornfelder' wine samples had significantly higher anthocyanin levels. Hierarchical clustering analysis categorized all cultivars into distinct subclasses based on their individual anthocyanin profiles. PCA and PLS-DA analyses identified malvidin-3-O-(trans-6-O-coumaryl)-glucoside as a common differential metabolite in both grapes and wines across all cultivars. Correlation analysis revealed that non-acylated anthocyanins have a more significant impact than acylated anthocyanins on color chromatic diversity in grapes and wine. These findings suggest that wines produced from 'Dornfelder' grapes may be useful for the wine industry for their color properties and high  anthocyanin contents. These findings provide valuable insights for grape growers and winemakers seeking to optimize grape selection.

Keywords: Varieties, Red wines, phenolic compounds, anthocyanins, color