Wine characterization from merlot, Tannat and cabernet sauvignon grapes of the Campanha region of RS, harvested in two maturation stages

The region of Bagé, RS presents befitting edaphoclimatic conditions for the production of said guard wines. Wines with Vitisvinifera grapes of the region are being produced 5 years ago, although research aimed at improving the quality of wines from the region are scarce, and production and winemaking protocols are used in other regions with different edaphoclimatic conditions found in Bagé. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of two harvest times (industrial maturation and advanced maturation) cultivars Merlot, Tannat and Cabernet Sauvignon, the composition of wines produced with grapes of the region. The Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot cultivars showed high pH (up to 4.2 in Cabernet Sauvignon), low total acid (56 meq.L-1to Merlot), color indices and low total polyphenol already in the first crop (IM), and the results were lower in the second crop (AM). Tannatcultivar in the harvest in industrial maturation stage proved to be well adapted to Bagé region, with good oenological potential, and, during the late harvest, the anthocyanin levels increase as well as polyphenols. Then, being advanced maturation a good choice regarding the structure and phenolic maturation of these wines. The sensory analysis verified the data of physical chemical analysis and pointed Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot wines as poorly structured, with low marks for color and acidity. Instead, the Tannat wine obtained high marks in both crops, with the second harvest highlighting quality. The negative data of high pH, low total acidity and instability of anthocyanins found in Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, may be attributed to adverse weather conditions for the maturation of Merlot and high amounts of potassium found in the leaves of grapevines before harvest and wines (above 2500 mg L-1) generated with Cabernet Sauvignon grapes.