IVAS 2022 banner
IVES 9 IVES Conference Series 9 IVAS 9 IVAS 2022 9 Chenin Blanc Old Vine character: evaluating a typicality concept by data mining experts’ reviews and producers’ tasting notes

Chenin Blanc Old Vine character: evaluating a typicality concept by data mining experts’ reviews and producers’ tasting notes

Abstract

Concepts such as typicality are difficult to demonstrate using the limited set of samples that can be subjected to sensory evaluation. This is due both to the complexity of the concept and to the limitations of traditional sensory evaluation (number of samples per session, panel fatigue, the need for multiple sessions and methods, etc.). On the other hand, there is a large amount of data already available, accumulated through many years of consistent evaluation. These data are held in repositories (such as Platter’s Wine Guide in the case of South Africa Wine, wineonaplatter.com) and in technical notes provided by the producers.There are many unknowns regarding the distinguishing features of a commercial Old Vine (OV) Chenin Blanc wine and its comparison to a Young Vine (YV) wine. There is little work done on it and the work has limitations regarding the methodology and number of samples included (Crous, 2016; Mafata, Brand, Panzeri, et al., 2020). Platter’s data contains descriptors for wines produced in South Africa, as well as a quality rating. The producers put technical sheets together – while the expert tasters generate Platter’s data for the same wines.Similar to work done on the general characteristics of South African Chenin Blanc wine (Valente, Bauer, Venter, et al., 2018), the goal of the study is to find the unique features associated with the ‘old vine Chenin Blanc character’ using available data from expert tastings and technical notes. During the initial step, Platter’s data and technical notes are mined for attributes of Chenin Blanc wines (as both sources indicate whether the wines belong to the Old Vine category). The automated process is done using the data gathering and analysis tool developed by the research team. A combined data set from all data sources is also  created.During the analysis step, Agglomerative Hierarchical Clustering (AHC), Multiple Correspondence Analysis (MCA), Fuzzy K-Means clustering (FKM), and Formal Concept Lattice (FCL) are employed to explore the attribute and product space. Clustering algorithms are applied to the data (separate and fused sets) to identify markers (features) for the Old Vine character. As Platter’s data also includes product ratings, the possible correlation of Old Vines vs. Young Vines regarding the perceived quality can also be tested. In addition to finding sensory attributes associated exclusively with Old Vine Chenin Blanc (the typicality issue), the novelty of the work also resides with the creation and development of a new application for the automated data gathering and analysis tool, whose effectiveness and robustness will be tested in the real case scenario.

References

Crous, R. 2016. The sensory characterisation of old-vine Chenin blanc wine: an exploratory study of the dimensions of quality. Stellenbosch University.
Mafata, M., Brand, J., Panzeri, V. & Buica, A. 2020. Investigating the Concept of South African Old Vine Chenin Blanc. South African Journal of Enology and Viticulture. 14(2):168–182.
Valente, C.C., Bauer, F.F., Venter, F., Watson, B. & Nieuwoudt, H.H. 2018. Modelling the sensory space of varietal wines: Mining of large, unstructured text data and visualisation of style patterns. Scientific Reports. 8(1).

DOI:

Publication date: June 27, 2022

Issue: IVAS 2022

Type: Poster

Authors

Kruger Markus1, Brand J.1, Watson B.2, Mafata M.1 and Buica A.1

1Department of Information Science, Stellenbosch University, South Africa; South African Grape and Wine Research Institute, Department of Viticulture and Oenology, Stellenbosch University, South Africa
2 Department of Information Science, Stellenbosch University, South Africa

Contact the author

Keywords

Chenin Blanc, Old Vine, Automation, Multi-source data gathering

Tags

IVAS 2022 | IVES Conference Series

Citation

Related articles…

Swiss program for the creation of fungal disease resistant grape varieties in Switzerland

Grapevine breeding is part of the research program of Agroscope in Switzerland since 1965. From 1965 to 1995, the aim of the Vitis vinifera crosses was to obtain a high resistance to grey rot (Botrytis cinerea), one of the most virulent fungal pathogens in the Swiss vineyard. In 2021, the grape varieties released from this first breeding program covered 936 ha of the 15’000 ha of the Swiss vineyard. In 1996, a second breeding program aimed at obtaining, by classical interspecific hybridization, grape varieties resistant to downy mildew (Plasmopara viticola) and powdery mildew (Erisyphe necator) and less sensitive to grey rot (Botrytis cinerea). In order to accelerate and make the selection process more reliable, an early biochemical test was developed based on the natural defense mechanisms of the vine against downy mildew (stilbene phytoalexins). The synthesis of stilbenes (i.e., resveratrol and its oxidized dimers - and -viniférine) and pterostilbenes (methylated derivative) is among the most efficient induced defense mechanisms of grapevine against fungal pathogens on both the leaves and the clusters.

Heatwaves impacts on grapevine physiology, berry chemistry & wine quality

Climate change impacts on both yields and quality have increased over the past decades, with the effects of extreme climate events having the most dramatic and obvious impacts. Increasing length and intensity of heatwaves associated with increased water stress necessitates a reevaluation of climate change responses of grapevine and, ultimately, a reconsideration of vineyard management practices under future conditions. Here we summarize results from a three-year field trial manipulating irrigation prior to and during heatwave events to assess impacts of water application rates on vine health and physiology, berry chemistry, and wine quality. We also highlight potential mitigation strategies for extreme heat, both in terms of water application, as well as other cultural practices that could be widely applicable.

Could intermittent shading, as produced in agrivoltaics, mitigate global warming effects on grapevine?

Global warning increases evaporative demand and accelerates grapevine phenology. As a consequence, the ripening phase shifts to warmer and drier periods. This results in lower acidity and higher sugar levels in berries, yielding too alcoholic wines with altered organoleptic properties. Agrivoltaics, which combines crop and renewable energy production on the same land using photovoltaic panels, emerged as a promising innovation to counteract these impacts by partially shading the plants.

Selected ion flow tube mass spectrometry: a promising technology for the high throughput phenotyping of grape berry volatilome

Wine grapes breeding has been concentrating a lot of efforts within the grape research community over the last decade. The quick phenotyping of genotype quality traits including aroma composition remains challenging. Selected Ion Flow Tube Mass Spectrometry (SIFT-MS), a technology first available in 2008 and developing rapidly, could be particularly valuable for this usage. The aims of this study were i) to use SIFT-MS, to analyze the whole volatilome from different grape varieties, ii) to assess the ability of this technology to discriminate varieties according to their grape aroma composition, and iii) to study the stability of SIFT-MS signal over maturation to define a sampling strategy.

VITIGEOSS Business Service: Task scheduling optimization in vineyards

Agriculture plantations are complex systems whose performance critically depends on the execution of several types of tasks with precise timing and efficiency to respond to different external factors. This is particularly true for orchards like vineyards, which need to be strictly monitored and regulated, as they are sensitive to diverse types of pests, and climate conditions. In these environments, managing and optimally scheduling the available work force and resources is not trivial and is usually done by teams of senior managers based on their experience. In this regard, having a baseline schedule could help them in the decision process and improve their results, in terms of time and resources spent.