Evolution of polyphenolic compounds in red wine from Cabernet Sauvignon grapes processed by pulsed electric fields during aging in bottle

The evolution of the Folin–Ciocalteu index, colour intensity and the principal individual polyphenols throughout 12 months of aging in bottles of red wine from Cabernet Sauvignon grapes treated and untreated by pulsed electric fields (PEF) have been compared. PEF technology allowed bottling of wines with higher Folin–Ciocalteu index, colour intensity and individual polyphenols concentrations using a shorter maceration time. For both wines, aging did not affect the colour intensity, whereas the Folin–Ciocalteu index decreased. The evolution of the principal individual polyphenols during the 12 months of storage followed a similar pattern in both wines. At the end of aging, there were no significant differences observed in the content of monomeric anthocyanins between both wines, however, the content of flavan-3-ols, flavonols and hydroxycinnamic acids and derivatives was higher in PEF treated wine. These results indicate that PEF could be a suitable technology for obtaining wines with higher phenolic content or reducing the maceration time during vinification.