Red wine is known (infamously by oenophiles) to deteriorate in quality days after the bottle is opened. Thought to be due primarily to oxidation, the chemical composition of wine changes, turning the once pleasant bouquet into an unfavorable smell. These chemical odorants, named volatile organic compounds (VOCs), are present in different varieties and concentrations giving each type of wine unique characteristics. Believing the decreasing quality of opened wine is correlated to VOC concentration changes over time, GC/MS was used to quantify each VOC extracted from red wine over a four-day period.  Using sorbent extraction the VOCs were analyzed from bottles of wine stored and re-sealed in different conditions and methods. Changes in pH and UV/Vis absorption were noted and results on the interdependence of these variables will be presented. The resulting VOC data showed consistent concentrations of different VOC, but no connection between wine aging and changes in these concentrations.

Comparative analysis of volatile organic compounds in opened wine

243rd National Meeting (2012)

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