The removal of stems prior to maceration during red winemaking is generally associated with an improvement in wine quality. However, in recent years, increased interest in the use of stems in winemaking has been observed among winegrowers. Different advantages of this practice have been listed in the literature. In order to better understand their role during winemaking, stems of ten red grape varieties from different winegrowing regions of Switzerland were studied to determine which minerals, acids and polyphenols are extracted under simulated alcoholic fermentation. The composition of the extracts revealed differences between the grape varieties. In addition, the growing conditions and the terroir seem to have an influence on the compounds extracted from the stems, especially the mineral composition such as potassium and copper. Among the extracted polyphenols, phenolic acids and proanthocyanidins were mostly found in the stem extracts, especially caftaric acid, catechin and procyanidin B1. Their concentrations were significant compared to the average values found in wines.
