Phenolic composition and antioxidant activity in sparkling wines: Modulation by the ageing on lees

Sparkling wines (SW) have a special biological ageing on lees that is performed using two distinct methods: in the bottle (Champenoise) or in isobaric tanks (Charmat method). The objective of this study was to compare the levels of phenolic compounds, beta-Glucosidase and antioxidant activity during the ageing on lees, in samples of SW produced at industrial scale by both methods. The B-Glucosidase activity has been constant over time, showing a close relationship with all the polyphenols studied (resveratrol, piceid, tyrosol, gallic, caffeic and ferulic acids), which were affected by the sur lie time. With these cross-reactions, the biological properties of the SW were also modulated. The results showed that the long period of ageing decreased the antioxidant potential in all samples. This work demonstrates that the sur lie is more important than the production method itself, due to its ability to modulate the necessary changes to achieve the specific objective. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.