Chemical and Sensory Characteristics of Different Red Grapes Grown in Xinjiang, China: Insights into Wines Composition

Globally, the red wine market experienced a rapid growth in the last decade, due to the superior colour, taste, and nutritional quality. The red grapes used for vinification have individual characteristics varying within the regional environment. In this study, the quality of seven grape cultivars, including Marselan, Yan 73, Muscat Hamburg, Kadarka, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Crimpose, and their corresponding wines, were investigated based on high-performance liquid chromatography and headspace solid-phase microextraction coupled to gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. These techniques were performed to analyze the chemical compositions and volatile compounds of the tested samples, respectively. The results showed that tartaric acid (29.96% to 73.45%) and rutin (12.53% to 56.54%) were the dominant organic acid and phenolic compounds in grapes, respectively. Higher concentrations of organic acids and phenolic compounds, and the types of volatile compounds, were observed to be highest in the Cabernet Sauvignon grape. The antioxidant activity of wines ranged from 6.74 to 102.68 mmol TE/L, and Yan 73 wine had the highest antioxidant activity. A total of 69 volatile compounds consisting of 17 alcohols, 26 esters, 5 aldehydes, 9 acids, 7 ketones, and 5 other volatile compounds were identified in all tested wines, and 11 important aroma active substances (odor activity value > 1) were selected, consisting of beta-ionone, phenethyl acetate, geranyl acetate, ethyl 9-decenoate, ethyl caprate, ethyl pelargonate, decanal, ethyl caprylate, 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-one, methyl 2-hexenoate, and ethyl hexanoate, which endow wines with a unique aroma. This work clearly describes the chemical and sensory characteristics of seven red grape cultivars in Xinjiang of China and provides diversity options for cultivars for winemaking.