The phenolic profile of a wine plays an essential role in its oxidative capacity and in both white and red wines it defines its shelf life[1]. The study of minority varieties to produce wines with peculiar characteristics necessarily includes the phenolic and oxidative characterization of the wines produced. This paper presents the study of wines made from 24 minority and majority white and red grape varieties, focusing on phenolic characteristics (total phenols, slightly polymerized phenols, highly polymerized phenols, anthocyanins…), color, as well as parameters related to the oxidability of the wines and their capacity to consume oxygen [2].

In recent years, resistant varieties have returned to the attention of the wine sector as a response to climate change and the reduction of pesticides in grapevine management, which is the main culprit of pesticide use in European agriculture. In this context, the production of sparkling wines could be strongly influenced due to its requirements for a particular balance between sugars and acidity, and the necessity of sound grapes to ensure wine quality. However, these parameters are not the only ones that define the suitability of a grape variety to produce sparkling wine.

3-Mercaptohexanol (3MH) is a volatile thiol occurring in several white and red wines, where it can contribute to fruity attributes. Its content is typically high in wines from certain grape varieties, in particular Sauvignon blanc, where it is considered a varietal marker. The strong nucleophilic character of thiols makes 3MH rather unstable during wine storage, due to the presence of several strong electrophilic species. Among these electrophilics, those arising from the oxidation of flavan3-ols such as catechin and epi-catechin have been indicated as critical for 3MH stability. Accordingly, there is a generalized interest towards the ability of vinification practices to reduce 3MH loss during aging through the management of wine flavan-3-ols content.

AIM. Wine yeast lees constitute a winemaking by-product that, unlike grape skins and seeds, are not sufficiently exploited to add value to the winemaking sector, as their treatment and disposal generally represents a cost for wineries [1].

In 2019, we have planted the red variety Manseng Noir, as it has been shown that it is the only sister of the Tannat grape. Tannat was introduced to Uruguay in 1870 from the south-western regions of France.