Storage Time in Bottle: Influence on Physicochemical and Phytochemical Characteristics of Wine Spirits aged using Traditional and Alternative Technologies

A few studies have investigated the influence on physicochemical and phytochemical compositions during storage in the bottle of wine spirits (WS) aged using Alternative Ageing Technology (AAT) compared it to Traditional Ageing Technolo-gy (TAT). The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the bottle storage over one and four years on the evolution of chromatic characteristics (CIELab method) and physicochemical characteristics (alcoholic strength, acidity and total dry ex-tract), total phenolic index (TPI), low molecular weight compound contents (HPLC-DAD technique), antioxidant activities (DPPH, FRAP and ABTS assays) and phenolic characterization (HPLC-DAD-ESI-MS/MS technique) of the WSs aged with chestnut wood using TAT (barrels, B) and AAT (micro-oxygenation levels (MOX): O15, O30 and O60; and control (N)). The results showed that after four years of storage in the bottle, the O60 modality resulted in lower changes in physicochemical characteristics, higher preservation of the phenolic content, greater evolution of chromatic characteristics, ensuring its overall quality compared to other modalities. The antioxidant activity decreased similarly in both technologies, such as the phenolic acid content, in particular gallic acid content. According to the findings of this study, Alternative Ageing Tech-nology might be the best alternative for wine spirit quality and the ageing process sustainability.