This study aimed at investigating the impact of different technical cork stoppers on the quality preservation and shelf life of sparkling wines. The volatile compositions of two Italian sparkling wines sealed with a sparkling cork with two natural cork discs (2D) and a microagglomerated (MA) cork were determined during bottle aging (12 to 42 months) after disgorging, by headspace solid-phase microextraction coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC/MS). The volatile profile of the sparkling wine #1 sealed with 2D stoppers showed the presence of camphor from 12 to 42 months, along with significant alterations in the levels of several alcohols, ketones, and ethyl esters at 24 and 42 months. The impact of closure type was less pronounced for sparkling wine #2 which also showed the presence of camphor from 12 to 42 months in 2D samples, and significantly higher levels of esters at 24 and 42 months for 2D compared with MA. These results unveiled that the type of closure has a greater impact on the volatile composition of sparkling wines at longer post-bottling periods and 2D stoppers preserve the fruity and sweety aromas of sparkling wines better after 42 months of bottle storage.
Keywords: HS-SPME-GC/MS; Italian sparkling wines; bottle aging; cork stoppers; volatile organic compounds.