Beneficial effects of white wines.

Wine phenolics have been reported to have health benefits, including protection against cardiovascular diseases and anticarcinogenic effects. White wines are usually made with the free-running juices without pomace, which has no contact with the grape skins. This is the main reason that the phenolic content of white wines is lower than that of red wines. However, white wine phenols have a comparable or higher antioxidant capacity than red wine phenols. Therefore, it is important to determine which phenolic compounds are present in white wines and which factors affect phenolic composition. We studied the influence of several factors, including variety and different technological processes, on phenolic composition. Significant differences were observed when any of these variables were considered. Consequently, if wine makers were to take these factors into consideration, the possible beneficial effects of their wines could be increased.