In the southern and southeastern of Brazil, the excessive rainfall during the maturation period negatively affects the quality of red wines. On the other hand, these regions have great potential for the development of sparklings since that for the elaboration of this drink, the grape is harvested before complete its maturation. In the state of Minas Gerais, the conditions of rainy summer season are present in all regions of grape production potential, and the altitude variation between them influence on the grapes composition. Therefore, this study sought to evaluate the potential for maturing of the grapes 'Chardonnay' and 'Pinot Noir' which are designated for the preparation of sparklings in two locations of Minas Gerais: Cordislândia (873m) and Caldas (1150m). The plants were grafted on 1103 Paulsen and conducted in trellis. It was evaluated the contents of total soluble solids, total acidity, malic and tartaric acid, and pH of the wort, size and mass of the berries, phenolic compounds in the peels and in the seeds, anthocyanins in the peels and soluble sugars in the berries in two seasons in a row. The berries had higher size and mass when grown in Caldas. The grapes harvested in Cordislândia presented a higher maturity degree, and it was observed a higher pH, higher levels of glucose and fructose, and a lower amount of acidity and total phenolic content in the seeds. The highest levels of malic acid present in the grapes of Caldas suggest that this region may be more appropriate for the production of grapes which are used for making sparklings.
Vitis vinifer; composition; sparkling wine; terroir; maturation
