AbstractBACKGROUNDToasted vine shoots have recently been proposed as enological additives with the aim of improving the sensorial profile of wines. However, so far, there is no simple method for classifying vine shoots for this innovative enological practice. In this study, therefore, an enological aptitude classification for toasted vine shoots has been proposed for the first time. Moreover, given the need for quick techniques to be used in wineries to determine the main phenolic compounds of vine shoots, near‐infrared (NIR) spectroscopy has been calibrated and validated.RESULTSBy means of a detailed statistical analysis, an enological classification of toasted vine shoots has been proposed based on their total polyphenol index and (+)‐catechin, (−)‐epicatechin, ellagic acid, and trans‐resveratrol. Moreover, the NIR methodology that was developed showed good validation statistics and acceptable accuracy.CONCLUSIONSThis work proposes the first enological toasted vine‐shoot classification and it provides a tool for rapid screening, mainly of phenolic compounds, in toasted vine shoots. © 2021 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.