Volatile composition of Red Mencia and Souson cultivars from Rias Baixas and Valdeorras AOC (NW Spain)

Abstract

Mencía and Sousón are two red Vitis vinifera cultivars grown in two geographic areas from Galicia (NW Spain), Appellation of Origin Controlled Valdeorras and Rías Baixas. Valdeorras AOC is situated in south east Galicia, with Continental climate, slate soil, gentle temperature and rainfall and Rías Baixas AOC is located in the southwest Galicia, near of the sea, with Atlantic climate, siliceous soil, and slightly higher temperature and rainfall than the first one. The aim of this study was to carry out a first approximation to determinate the influence of terroir on volatile composition of these red cultivars grown in Galicia. Grapes of Mencía and Sousón, collected in 2009 vintage, were crushed and the musts volatiles were extracted using Solid Phase Extraction (SPE). The identification and quantification was performed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) in free and bound form. The results showed a greater effect of terroir in bound compounds (alcohols, volatile phenols, C13-norisoprenoids and volatile fatty acids) between geographic areas for the two cultivars studied. In free fraction C6-compounds and carbonyl compounds showed variability between geographic areas for the cultivars.