Effects of Long-Term Storage on the Chemical Composition, Antioxidant Activity, Free Amino Acid and Phenolic Profile of Traditional Vino Cotto

Although vino cotto is a traditional Italian cooked wine, its chemical evolution during long-term maturation remains poorly characterized. This study evaluated the physicochemical composition, phenolic profile, free amino acids, antioxidant activity, and color parameters of vino cotto from Abruzzo aged for 3, 15, and 40 years, using Trebbiano d’Abruzzo as a reference wine. Samples differing in the age of the vino cotto were characterized by marked differences in alcohol content, organic acids, sugars, total polyphenols, anthocyanins, and antioxidant activity. The total polyphenol content ranged from 0.96 to 1.56 g GAE/L, and the ABTS•+ activity ranged from 0.96 to 13.07 mmol Trolox/L, with the highest values observed in the 40-year-old sample. The total content of free amino acids did not differ significantly among the samples studied, although significant differences were observed among individual amino acids. Compared with Trebbiano d’Abruzzo, vino cotto showed higher levels of most phenolic compounds and greater antioxidant activity. These results indicate that the prolonged aging process, combined with the production process and other factors specific to a given batch, may result in significant differences in the chemical composition, color, and antioxidant properties of vino cotto.