Changes in phenolic compounds and colour parameters of red wine aged with oak chips and in oak barrels

Changes in phenolic compounds and colour related parameters of a red wine, Cigales Appellation of Origin, were monitored during its ageing in oak barrels and with added oak chips. Results were statistically analysed by multifactor analysis of variance and discriminant analysis. The wine aged in contact with oak chips underwent a quicker ageing, their loss of anthocyanins was also faster and suffered a higher number of polymerisations than the wine aged in barrels. Red wine colour changed during ageing due to the contribution of yellowish pigment compounds, which differed depending on how the oxidative ageing took place, and by the increasing stability of the blue co-pigments. The discriminant analysis showed that samples of the same source wine aged in barrels and with oak chips tended to be grouped together according to ageing system.