Changes in Low Molecular Weight Phenolic Compounds in Spanish, French, and American Oak Woods during Natural Seasoning and Toasting

Abstract

The evolution of low molecular weight polyphenols in Spanish oak heartwood of Quercus robur,Quercus petraea, Quercus pyrenaica, and Quercus faginea was studied by HPLC, in relation to the processing of wood in barrel cooperage. The polyphenolic composition of Spanish woods subjected to natural seasoning for 3 years and to the toasting process was studied in relation to those of French oak of Q. robur (Limousin) and Q. petraea (Allier) and American oak of Q. alba (Missouri), which are habitually used in cooperage. The concentrations of benzoic and cinnamic acids and aldehydes of Spanish woods increased during seasoning depending on the duration of this process and in the same way as those of French and American woods. The process having the main influence on the phenolic composition of wood was the toasting. It led to high increases in the concentration of phenolic aldehydes and acids, especially cinnamic aldehydes (sinapic and coniferylic aldehydes), followed by benzoic aldehydes (syringaldehyde and vanillin) and benzoic acids (syringic and vanillic acids). This polyphenolic composition in Spanish oak species evolved during toasting as in French and American oak, but quantitative differences were found, which were especially important in American species with respect to the others.

First Approach to the Analytical Characterization of Barrel-Aged Grape Marc Distillates Using Phenolic Compounds and Colour Parameters

“…Thermal degradation of lignin leads to the formation of some phenolic alcohols (19). The concentration of vanillyl alcohol was higher in the spirit aged in Quercus robur (Galicia), whereas this compound was not present in distillates aged in Quercus robur (Limousin) or Quercus alba.…”

“…1 shows the molecular structures of the compounds extracted from the wood. The phenolic aldehydes are produced by thermodegradation of the terminal monomer units of lignin: the cinnamic aldehydes convert to benzoic aldehydes, and then they are oxidized to phenolic acids (19). Table 4 reports the concentrations of the quantifi ed phenolic compounds in the analysed aged distillates.…”

“…Quercus alba (American oak), which grows in diff erent areas in the United States, Quercus petraea (sessile oak) and Quercus robur (pedunculate oak) from Europe, are the most common oak species used in barrel-making (17). French oak is the most popular wood for the maturation of beverages around the world (18), whereas Spanish oaks, mainly grown in the North of Spain, are used at a lower scale for ageing of wines and a few studies about their behaviour have been published (19)(20)(21).…”

Quercus humboldtii(Colombian oak): Characterisation of wood phenolic composition with respect to traditional oak wood used in oenology

“…analyses of LMWP and ellagitannins LMWP were analysed by the method described by Cadahía et al (2001a) and the analysis of ellagitannins was performed according to the method of Cadahía et al (2001b …”

Variation des composés volatils du bois dans un peuplement mixte de chênes: forte différenciation interspécifique et forte structuration spatiale de la quantité de whisky-lactone

“…They are responsible for important olfactory notes such as coconut, woody, vanilla, caramel etc. Volatile substances content is strongly affected by natural factors as well as by cooperage techniques: seasoning [5,9,15,16,30,34] and toasting [6,10]. Among the natural factors that have been cited are botanical species and local environment, both of which can affect growth (and hence 'grain' = ring width).…”