Molecular approaches for understanding and modulating wine taste

Due to the global demand for terroir wines, the winemaking industry has focused attention on exploiting the local yeast microflora of each wine growing region to express the regional character and enhance the sensory profile of wines such as varietal typicity and aroma complexity. The objective of the present study was to isolate and compare the indigenous strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae present in different vineyards in the Mesogeia – Attiki wine region (Greece), evaluate their impact on chemical composition and sensory profile of Savatiano wines and select the most suitable ones for winemaking process.

Dolcetto (Vitis vinifera L.) is one of the traditionally cultivated varieties in Piedmont (north-east Italy). Dolcetto wines have long been associated with local consumption and they are little known internationally. In particular, the Ovada area (south-east Piedmont), even if it represents a small share of the regional PDO Dolcetto production, is one of the oldest and vocated territory, giving wine also suitable for aging. In this study, the basic composition and phenolic content of Dolcetto grapes for Ovada DOCG wines have been investigated in three different vintages (2020-2022), as well as the main aspects of the derived commercial and experimental wines (basic parameters, phenolics, volatile compounds, sensory properties).

Previous research on the fruity character of red wines highlighted the role of esters. Literature provides evidence that, besides these esters, other compounds that are not necessarily volatiles may have an important impact on the overall aroma of wine, contributing to a modulation of its global aromatic expression. The goal of this work was to assess the olfactory consequences of a mixture between esters and proanthocyanidic tannins, through sensory and physico-chemical approaches.
Sensory analysis of numerous aromatic reconstitutions, including triangular tests, detection thresholds, and sensory profiles, were conducted in order to evaluate the sensory impact of tannins on red wine esters perception.

In economics, the perception of wine quality is not limited to sensorial characteristics: an indication of the region of production significantly affects the perception of quality and consumers’ WTP ([1]; [2]). However, [3] or more recently [4] show that even if a wine has an organic label, the taste of wine remains the predominant criterion in consumer preferences. The contribution of our experiment is to evaluate the impact of responsible attributes (organic label, Non Added Sulfites, HVE certification) on the appreciation of several red wines on the market. More than 280 consumers participated to the present study and they perform 25 tastings divided into 5 different sessions. 20 different red wines from Bordeaux Area are tasted.

Infection of grapes (Vitis vinifera) by Botrytis cinerea (grey mould) is a frequent occurrence in vineyards and during prolonged wet and humid conditions can lead to significant detrimental impact on yield and overall quality. Growth of B. cinerea causes oxidisation of phenolic compounds resulting in a loss of colour and formation of a suite of off-flavours and odours in wine made from excessively infected fruit. Apart from wine grapes, developing post-harvest B. cinerea infection in high-value horticultural products during storage, shipment and marketing may cause significant loss in fresh fruits, vegetables and other crops. A rapid and sensitive assessment method to detect, screen and quantify fungal infection would greatly assist viticultural growers and winemakers in determining fruit quality.