Phenolic compound profiles in selected Queensland red wines at all stages of the wine-making process

The phenolic profiles of Queensland red wines (two Cabernet Sauvignons and one Shiraz) from different stages of wine-making were studied. Samples were taken at crush, after the primary and malolactic fermentations, post-oaking, and post-bottling, and then extracted and separated into aqueous and organic fractions using liquid–liquid extraction and solid-phase extraction, and analysed by HPLC-DAD-MS. About 75% of the phenolic compounds were extracted into the aqueous fraction, with malvidin-3-glucoside and derivatives as the main components. The major non-anthocyanin phenolic compounds (∼25%) included gallic acid, syringic acid, ethyl gallate, caftaric acid, coutaric acid, caffeic acid, coumaric acid, catechin, and quercetin. The polymerisation of anthocyanins was shown to occur progressively throughout the wine-making process. Most of the 25 identified phenolic compounds had highest concentrations during the fermentation stage, and stabilised or slowly decreased thereafter. There were weak and insignificant correlations (P > 0.05) between individual phenolic compounds and the total antioxidant activities (ORAC). Four groups of phenolic compounds (anthocyanins, hydroxybenzoic acids, flavanols and hydroxycinnamic acids) each showed some correlation with the total antioxidant activity, as did the total polyphenol content, suggesting that the antioxidant properties of red wine are due to a complex mixture of phenolic compounds that vary in composition throughout the wine-making process.