| Abstract
| - β-Carotene and six xanthophylls (lutein, neoxanthin, violaxanthin, luteoxanthin, cryptoxanthin,and echinenone) have been identified and semiquantitatively or quantitatively determined in mustsand port wines for the first time. An HPLC method was developed and compared with that of onebased on thin layer cromatography with scanning densitometry. The most abundant carotenoidspresent in red grape varieties are β-carotene and lutein. In wines, significant quantities ofviolaxanthin, luteoxanthin, and neoxanthin were found. This study was done with berries (skinand pulp), musts, and fortified wines. Some experiments were performed to follow carotenoid contentfrom grapes to wines. Although the levels of β-carotene and lutein found in fortified wines werelower than those found in musts, other xanthophylls, such as neoxanthin, violaxanthin, andluteoxanthin, exist in appreciable amounts in young ports. Keywords: Carotenoids; wine composition; winemaking; aroma precursors
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