Chemical parameters, biologically active polyphenols and sensory characteristics of some Italian organic wines

Abstract

This paper describes 23 commercial Italian wines, made from organic grapes, by their chemical parameters, biologically active polyphenol concentrations and sensory analysis. Our data show inconsistent differences in the trans-resveratrol and p-coumaric acid contents in comparison with non-organic wine, with the exception of quercetin concentrations in Chianti samples. Furthermore, the chemical analyses and sensory data of organic wines did not significantly differ from those previously cited. In general the organic wines display satisfactory sensory properties such as flavour intensity, body and a general acceptance.

Acknowledgements

The authors thank Miss Stefania Zannoni for her technical assistance. This study was supported by MIUR (Italian Ministry of University and Research) COFIN 2001, project 2001072288.