BACKGROUND:Anthocyanins are the main compounds responsible for the colour of red wines and therefore itmay be important
to evaluate the contentof the aforesaid secondary metabolites duringgraperipeningdueto the crucial importance to determine
wine colour. Nowadays, there is a growing demand of rapid and non-destructive analytical tools for analysing grapes, such as
the emerging hyperspectral analysis.
RESULTS: The hyperspectral images of intact grapes (Vitis vinifera L. cv. Tempranillo, Graciano, Garnacha and Mazuelo red
grape from vineyards located in the D.O.Ca. Rioja at two different developmental stages) were recorded using a near infrared
hyperspectral imaging device (900–1700 nm). Reference values of anthocyaninswere obtained by HPLC-DAD. Calibrationswere
performed by modified partial least squares regression and present a good potential (coefficient of determination of 0.72 and
standard error of cross-validation values of 0.78 and 0.70mg per grape for total and non-acylated anthocyanins respectively).
CONCLUSION: The procedure reported here presents a good potential for a fast and reasonably inexpensive screening of these
compounds in intact single berries. Moreover, the heterogeneity of anthocyanins within the same ripeness stage could be
evaluated using this non-detructive tool
