## 1 Introduction  
Plant-derived phytochemicals found in fruits, vegetables, seeds, spices, and derived food products, including functional foods that we consume daily [1, 2, 3], but also in fruits and vegetable by-products [4], are responsible for aroma, color, and antioxidant properties. Among phytochemicals, polyphenols are becoming increasingly important due to their beneficial effects on health associated with their role as natural antioxidants [5, 6, 7].  
Grapevine is one of the major fruit crops that is cultivated on large areas all over the world [8, 9], with the resulting grapes and wines containing important amounts of phytochemicals and nutrients that provide numerous health benefits [10, 11]. Polyphenols represent the most important phytochemicals in grapes and the corresponding wines as they are associated with numerous biological activities and health benefits [12, 13] due to polyphenols antioxidant properties and their ability to eliminate free radicals [14, 15]. Of these, we mention the reduction in the incidence of diseases such as cardiovascular and neurological diseases, atherosclerosis and high blood pressure, metabolic syndrome, cancer, and type 2 diabetes [16; 17].  
The polyphenolic composition of the grapes depends on the species (_Vitis vinifera_, _Vitis labrusca_, and _Vitis rotundifolia_) and grape varieties [18; 19]. Among polyphenols, phenolic acids, flavonoids, anthocyanins, stilbenes, lignans, and polymerized forms, such as tannins and lignins, are representative for grapes and the derived products, including musts and wines [20; 21]. The majority of all grapes (_Vitis vinifera_) are used in winemaking, and some varieties are consumed as table grapes [22; 23]. The amounts of phenols extracted from grapes into wines depend on the chemical composition of the grape skin [24; 25]. The polyphenolic profiles of the grapes and the wines depend on several factors, such as grape variety and maturity, environmental factors (soil, climate), agricultural practice, winemaking technology, and the conditions of aging the wine [26; 27]. The distribution of polyphenols varies in different parts of the grape berry, such as anthocyanins and tannins which are found in the skin and pro-anthocyanidins which are found in skins and seeds, while phenolic acids are predominant in the pulp [12]. In the making of red wine, the must is fermented together with the skins of the grapes, the pulp, and the seeds, while in white wine, it occurs only by the fermentation of grape juice without the skins of the grapes [19; 24]. Consequently, tannins and anthocyanins are the major polyphenols in red wines, whereas phenolic acids are the most abundant in white wines [19; 28]. The presence of various phenolic compounds in wine's composition determines its ultimate character [20]. Consequently, anthocyanins are responsible for color [29; 30], flavonoids and hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives are responsible for stabilizing young red wines by cop pigmentation, and flavan-3-ols are responsible for wine astringency and bitterness [31; 32].  
Considering all these premises, the aim of this study was to investigate the individual phenolic composition in terms of hydroxybenzoic, hydroxycinnamic, and chlorogenic acids, flavanols, flavonoids, and the associated bioactive characteristics of different white and red musts and the corresponding wines obtained under the winemaking and terroric characteristics of the Stefanesti vineyard, Romania. The evolution of the main phenolic compounds from musts to wines and varieties with a high antioxidant potential associated with the polyphenolic composition is also highlighted in this study.