IVAS 2022 banner
IVES 9 IVES Conference Series 9 IVAS 9 IVAS 2022 9 Olfactometry approach to assess odorant compounds of grape spirits used for Port wine production-first results

Olfactometry approach to assess odorant compounds of grape spirits used for Port wine production-first results

Abstract

The production of Port Wine requires the addition of grape spirit to stop the fermentation, ensuring the desired sweetness. The grape spirit, a product of wine and wine by-products distillation, must comply several legal requirements, namely the sensory evaluation before its addition to the wine. Given that previous studies1 pointed out the contribution of grape spirit to the volatile composition of Port wines, the main purpose of this study was the assessment of the odorant compounds of several grape spirits used for Port wine production. The volatiles of grape spirits samples were previously extracted by liquid-liquid extraction and after concentrated. The extracts of volatile compounds were analysed by gas chromatography–olfactometry (GCO) to evaluate the most important aroma compounds and by gas chromatography−mass spectrometry (GC-MS) for compound identification. The GCO analysis was performed using the frequency detection method2, where a group of assessors sniffed the extracts. The individual aromagrams are summed and the odour’s intensity is estimated through the number of sniffers who detect an odour.
The GCO results of the grape spirits analysed, pointed out to the presence of several odorant compounds from different chemical families, namely esters, alcohols, terpenic and acids. Some of these volatile compounds are assigned with pleasant odour notes such as fruity, caramel, honey and floral while other are assigned with unpleasant and heavy odour notes such as cheese and foot odour. The majority of the identified compounds were originated from the fermentation process and were also found in other unaged distillate beverages such as freshly Cognac and Calvados3 or Tequila4.

DOI:

Publication date: June 23, 2022

Issue: IVAS 2022

Type: Poster

Authors

Caldeira Ilda1, Lourenço Sílvia1, Furtado Isabel2, Silva Ricardo2 and Rogerson Frank S. S.2

1Instituto Nacional de Investigação Agrária e Veterinária, Polo de Dois Portos, and MED—Mediterranean Institute for Agriculture, Environment and Development
2Symington Family Estates 

Contact the author

Keywords

grape spirit, odorants, olfactometry, detection frequency

Tags

IVAS 2022 | IVES Conference Series

Citation

Related articles…

Moderated consumption of alcoholic beverages and cancer risk

One on three cases of cancer is associated with lifestyle and nutritional patterns, and the excessive intake of alcoholic beverages is a well established risk factor. Moderate drinking has been associated with reduced or increased risk of various types of cancer, but the clinical relevance of the risk rates has not been evaluated in ad hoc prospective investigations.

Read More

Effects of urea and nano-urea foliar treatments on the aromatic profile of Monastrell wines

Foliar application of urea has proven to be an effective method for increasing the amino acid content in grapes, especially when the vineyard has additional nitrogen needs. These treatments can prevent problems of stucking fermentation during winemaking.

Read More

Characterizing chemical influences of smoke on wine via novel application of 13c-labelled smoke

Smoke impact is an ongoing and growing issue for vintners across the globe, with the west coast of the U.S. and Australia being two of the largest wine industries impacted. Wine has shown to be especially sensitive to smoke exposure, often acquiring off-flavor sensory characteristics, such as “burnt rubber”, “ashy”, or other medicinal off-flavors.1 While several studies have examined the chemical composition of smoke influences on wine, some studies disagree on what compounds are having the largest impact on smell and flavor.2 This study is designed as a bottom-up approach to inventory the chemical compounds derived from smoke from a grassland-like fire that are potentially influencing wine chemical composition.

Read More

Fungal communites diversity and functional roles of different types of Botrytis cinerea infected grape berries on different growing sites

Botrytis cinerea, an Ascomycota pathogen with a broad host range, infects over 1200 plant species. Grapes infected by this pathogen, which subsequently develop a noble rot, remain in the vineyard for an extended period, thus being exposed to a diverse array of physical, chemical and biological factors, which give rise to a complex microbial community.

Read More

Long term influence of a cover crop in the agronomic and oenological performance of CV. Chardonnay

Cover crops are acknowledged to be an interesting tool to produce
higher quality grapes in red varieties, as they generally reduce vine vigour and yield. However, their incidence in white wine quality is not clear, since higher nitrogen availability can play an important positive
role, and cover crops may compete for this nutrient. The possible reduction in available nitrogen can also modify the fermentation processes, as well as the synthesis of aromas in the wine. The aim of this work was to evaluate the long-term effect of a grass cover crop on grape and wine quality.

Read More