Inter-regional characterisation of New Zealand pinot noir wines: Correlation between wine colour, monomeric and polymeric phenolics, tannin composition, antioxidant capacity, and sensory attributes

Abstract

A total of 116 New Zealand Pinot Noir wines from Central Otago (CO), Marlborough (MLB), and Martinborough (MTB) were analysed for colour, monomeric and total phenolics, antioxidant capacity, and tannins using colourimetric and HPLC methods. Correlations among chemical compositions and analytical techniques were examined. Additionally, a sensory study assessed wine colour and five mouthfeel attributes. Discriminant analyses revealed significant regional characteristics. CO wines displayed unique monomeric anthocyanin profiles and were perceived as softer on the palate. MLB wines showed higher residual sugar but lower colour intensity and tannin concentration. MTB wines exhibited higher colour and robust mouthfeels, linked to higher colour absorbances, polymeric pigments, and tannins. Mouthfeel attributes correlated significantly with wine total phenolics, MCP and HPLC tannin measurements, and the degree of tannin polymerisation (mDP). The combined chemical and sensory data enhanced regional differentiation, demonstrating the importance of integrating comprehensive chemical measurements with sensory evaluations for thorough wine classification.

Keywords: (+)-catechin (PubChem CID: 9064); (−)-epicatechin (PubChem CID: 72276); (−)-epicatechin gallate (PubChem CID: 107905); (−)-epigallocatechin (PubChem CID: 72277); (−)-epigallocatechin gallate (PubChem CID: 65064); Colour parameters; New Zealand pinot noir; Phenolic profile; Sensory attributes; Wine regionality; caffeic acid (PubChem CID: 689043); coutaric acid (PubChem CID: 6440397); delphinidin-3-glucoside (PubChem CID: 23724703); gallic acid (PubChem CID: 370); isorhamnetin (PubChem CID: 5281654); kaempferol (PubChem CID: 5280863); malvidin-3-glucoside (PubChem CID: 11249520); myricetin (PubChem CID: 5281672); p-coumaric acid (PubChem CID: 637542); peonidin-3-Glucoside (PubChem CID: 443654); petunidin-3-glycoside (PubChem CID: 443651); quercetin (PubChem CID: 5280343); resveratrol (PubChem CID: 445154).