Quantitative changes of some volatile components in Vernaccia di Oristano (a Sardinian sherry-like wine) during maturation

Vernaccia di Oristano, a sherry-like wine produced in Sardinia, Italy, was subjected to biological aging after inoculation with Saccharomyces cerevisiae var. bayanus (strain 1043) and S. cerevisiae var. prostoserdovii (strain 1739) and to aging under sterile conditions. Samples were withdrawn at three different stages of maturation of the sherry-like wine, and the volatiles were analyzed by gas chromatography and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Forty compounds were identified comprising alcohols, acids, esters, and dioxolanes. Analysis of variance showed significant effects of both aging conditions and duration on most of the volatiles, with differences maximized at the final sampling time, i.e., 20 days after film formation.