ORIGINAL PAPER Aromatic characterization and enological potential of 21 minor varieties (Vitis vinifera L.) Sonia Garcı ´a-Mun ˜oz • Andriani Asproudi • Fe ´lix Cabello • Daniela Borsa Received: 17 February 2011 / Accepted: 2 July 2011 Ó Springer-Verlag 2011 Abstract The homogenization of international wine market led to a gradual impoverishment of the genetic pool. In fact, in several Spanish Quality Demarcations, the most frequent international varieties are replacing the local ones. As a result, minor varieties, perfectly adapted to the local environmental conditions, are nowadays at risk of extinction. The study of minor varieties could provide useful inputs to satisfy the demand for new and interesting wine products. This work aims at filling a gap in the existing literature, focusing on the aromatic potential of minor varieties. Here, the study of glycosidic volatile compounds and the evaluation of the influence of several variables on aroma composition were considered. Fifty-one glycosidic compounds were identified and quantified. The results revealed differences for glycosidic compounds according to cultivars, berry color, clone and sample origin. The inclusion or not of the cultivars in Quality Demarca- tion was also discussed. Moreover, the synthesis of some compounds involved in these differentiations seems to have a genetic component. The characterization of aro- matic potential of several minor varieties, achieved for the first time, revealed that some of these (Argamusa, Quigat, Pampolat girat, Excursach, Gorgollasssa or Mando ´n) could represent an excellent option for winemaking and com- mercial offer diversification strategies, besides being important for these cultivars conservation. Keywords Aroma  Gas chromatography  Glycosides  Grapevine Introduction The phenomenon of replacement of local grape varieties with widely spread international cultivars, such as Caber- net-Sauvignon or Chardonnay, is coming to a standstill. In addition, the wine consumers’ taste and preferences have changed during the last few years, since there are other values and motivations out of aroma and taste for drinking wines, e.g., as marketing attributes and new wine style [1]. Several Quality Demarcations are starting to promote varieties linked to specific locations, which produce ori- ginal and high-quality wines. Minor varieties, perfectly adapted to the local environmental conditions, may repre- sent a good option. Even though they may not be allowed in any Quality Demarcation, their reintroduction in the wine industry would not only entail an increase in the wine offer but also provide an important tool for their conser- vation. Being the wine aroma one of the most important attributes for influencing consumer’s preferences, a more detailed study about the aromatic potential of these tradi- tional varieties appears to be an important first step. The qualitative and quantitative volatile compounds in grapes are important as a source of flavour in wines [2]. The grape and wine aroma, and specifically its intensity, has long been one of the principal attributes taken into account for grapevine selection [3]. The wine aroma compounds depend on the cultivar [4, 5], on environmental Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s00217-011-1538-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users. S. Garcı ´a-Mun ˜oz (&)  F. Cabello IMIDRA Finca ‘‘El Encı ´n’’, A2 km 38.200, 28800 Alcala ´ de Henares, Madrid, Spain e-mail: sonigarmu@gmail.com A. Asproudi  D. Borsa CRA-Centro di Ricerca per l’Enologia, Via Pietro Micca 35, 14100 Asti, Italy 123 Eur Food Res Technol DOI 10.1007/s00217-011-1538-1