Consideration of the influence of aging process, type of wine and oenological classic parameters on the levels of wood volatile compounds present in red wines

The contents of the volatile compounds extracted from wood: cis- and trans-whiskylactones, vanillin, syringaldehyde, furfural, 5-methylfurfural, eugenol, guaiacol, p-ethyl-phenol and p-ethylguaicol have been studied in 12 single-variety wines aged in new American oak barrels. The concentration of these compounds were determined after the following combinations of time in wood and time in bottle: 0 months in wood plus 18 months in bottle, 4 months in wood + 14 months in bottle, 9 months in wood + 9 moths in bottle and 12 months in wood + 6 months in bottle. According to the composition of the wines, it is possible to conclude in general, that, the extraction of these compounds was faster during the first four or 9 months of aging in wood, depending on the wines. After 12 months of oak maturation, the extraction of these compounds slowed down. Furthermore, the final concentrations of these volatile compounds were different among studied wines. These differences could be related to some of the values of some of their oenological parameters, such as the contents of tartaric acid and sulphur dioxide of each wine.