WAC 2022 banner
IVES 9 IVES Conference Series 9 WAC 9 WAC 2022 9 2 - WAC - Oral presentations 9 HRATA : A new sensory methodology using advantage of wine aromatic wheels

HRATA : A new sensory methodology using advantage of wine aromatic wheels

Abstract

Wine is an intrinsically complex aromatic product. To formalize this aromatic diversity and the hierarchical structure of the aromas, it is common to present them in the form of a wheel of aromas. These are used for learning and communication purposes but never for the acquisition of sensory characteristics.

The HRATA (Hierarchical Rate All That Apply) methodology proposes to combine the benefits of methodologies traditionally used in sensory evaluation. It proposes both 1°) a complete characterization of the aromas based on a RATA approach that gives tasters a strong freedom in the evaluation of an exhaustive list of attributes and 2°) a hierarchical presentation of attributes that allows tasters to position more or less accurately (family, category or term) according to their perceptions. It facilitates also data acquisition in a professional context without previous common training. Coupled with a computerized user-friendly interface in the form of an interactive aroma wheel, tasters can easily choose and score as many attributes as necessary with different levels of precision if they wish.

This original methodology was tested with 6 wines of Chenin grape variety from the Loire Valley and using the wheels of the Chenin aromas proposed by WOSA. Twenty-four tasters characterized each wine twice with the sole instruction to score as many attributes as necessary on the wheel. Several statistical strategies were compared to analyze this original dataset and to improve the data interpretation and presentation. Some technical issues will be also discussed.

This methodology would be very relevant for exploring the relationships between sensory and physico-chemical characteristics or for studying some sensory concepts such as the typicity or complexity of wines.

DOI:

Publication date: June 13, 2022

Issue: WAC 2022

Type: Article

Authors

Ronan SYMONEAUX, Corine PATRON, Etienne NEETHLINGE, Cécile COULON-LEROY

Presenting author

Ronan SYMONEAUX – GRAPPE – Ecole Supérieure d’Agricultures – INRAE

GRAPPE – Ecole Supérieure d’Agriculture – INRAE

Contact the author

Keywords

Aroma, Sensory Evaluation, RATA, Chenin

Tags

IVES Conference Series | WAC 2022

Citation

Related articles…

HOW OXYGEN CONSUMPTION INFLUENCES RED WINES VOLTAMMETRIC PROFILE

Phenolic compounds play a central role in sensory characteristics of wine, such as colour, mouthfeel, flavour and determine its shelf life. Furthermore, the major non-enzymatic wine oxidation process is due to the catalytic oxidation of phenols in quinones. Due their importance, during the years have been developed different analytical methods to monitor the concentration of phenols in wine, such as Folin-Ciocalteu method, spectrophotometric techniques and HPLC. These methods can also be used to follow some oxidation-related chemical transformations.

Les motivations du vigneron en quête de l’expression “terroir”

During the 1985 harvest, I was able to notice in the taste perception a break in the harmony of the wine during even partial blends of grapes from different plots. At the same time, I noted a good reaction from customers for greater product customization. As a result, I was led to seek the objective limits of the terroir of a cuvée and by a constant and permanent refinement of the parameters specific to each of the terroirs.

Under trellis cover crop induces grapevine tolerance to bunch rot

Botrytis bunch rot occurrence is one of the most important limitations for the wine industry in humid environments. A positive correlation between grapevine growth and susceptibility to fungal pathogens has been found. In theory the effect of grapevine vegetative growth on bunch rot expression results from direct effects (cluster architecture, nitrogen status among others) and indirect ones (via microclimate). However, a reduction in bunch rot incidence can be achieved in some circumstances without major vine growth reduction. The present study was aimed to test the general hypothesis that bunch rot susceptibility is affected by vine vigor, but other factors associated with grapevine vegetative expression could be even more relevant.

Mapping terroirs at the reconnaissance level, by matching soil, geology, morphology, land cover and climate databases with viticultural and oenological results from experimental vineyards

This work was aimed at setting up a methodology to define and map the «Unités Terroir de Reconnaissance» (UTR), combining environmental information stored in a Soil Information System with experimental data coming from benchmark vineyards of Sangiovese vine.

Armenia: historical origin of domesticated grapevine

The Armenian highlands are located on the northern border of western asia and stretch up to the caucasus from the north. Throughout human history, country has played an important role in connecting the civilizations of europe and the near east. The recent large-scale study about the dual domestication origin and evolution of grapes approved that in the Armenian highlands human and grapevine stories are interlaced through centuries and roots of grapevine domestication are found deep in the pleistocene, ending 11.5 thousand years ago. Findings of this study confirmed that glacial episodes distinguish wild grapes into eastern and western ecotypes around 200-400 ka.