Combined Effects of Cultivar, Vintage, and Vinification Practices on the Physicochemical, Phenolic, and Elemental Composition of Red and White Wines from Murfatlar (Romania)

Grapevine cultivar, climatic variability, and vinification practices are key determinants of wine composition. This study evaluated the physicochemical, phenolic, and elemental profiles of six wines produced from distinct cultivars cultivated in the Murfatlar Research Station (Romania) over three consecutive growing seasons (2022–2025). Red wines were obtained using differentiated maceration regimes, while white wines were produced with controlled lees contact. Total phenolic content was determined by the Folin–Ciocâlteu method, resveratrol by UHPLC-DAD, and mineral composition by ICP-MS. Linear mixed-effects models were applied to assess the effects of cultivar, vinification method, and vintage year. As expected, red wines exhibited significantly higher total phenolic and resveratrol concentrations than white wines, and maceration duration enhanced phenolic extraction. Cultivar exerted the strongest influence on physicochemical parameters and elemental composition, whereas climatic differences among vintages induced moderate but significant variations. Rare-earth elements and selected macro- and microelements exhibited consistent varietal patterns, supporting their potential as compositional markers. Toxic element concentrations remained within established regulatory limits. These findings highlight the combined influence of genetic, environmental, and technological factors on wine composition and support the integration of phenolic and mineral profiling for varietal differentiation and quality assessment.