terclim by ICS banner
IVES 9 IVES Conference Series 9 ASSESSING THE ROLE OF 27 KNOWN BITTER COMPOUNDS IN COMMERCIAL WHITE WINES COMBINING LC-MS QUANTIFICATION AND SENSORY ANALYSIS

ASSESSING THE ROLE OF 27 KNOWN BITTER COMPOUNDS IN COMMERCIAL WHITE WINES COMBINING LC-MS QUANTIFICATION AND SENSORY ANALYSIS

Abstract

The balance between the different flavours of a wine largely determines its perception and appreciation by the consumers. In white wines, sweetness and sourness are usually the two poles balancing the taste properties. The bitter flavour, on the other hand, is frequently associated with a loss of equilibrium and all white wines (dry and sweet, young and aged) are affected.

Several bitter compounds are already well-described in wines. Some are linked to microorganisms as acrolein (Bauer et al., 2010) or oak wood, for example lyoniresinol (Cretin et al., 2015), while others come directly from grapes: mostly phenolic (Hufnagel and Hofmann, 2008) and nitrogen compounds (Roudot-Algaron, 1996). Furthermore, the enhancing role played by ethanol has also been well established (Cretin et al., 2018). The present study aims to determine the influence of twenty-seven known bitter compounds on the taste of various commercial white wines.

Thirty wines have been selected and submitted to sensory analysis by a trained panel. The various intensities of sourness, sweetness and bitterness have been determined for each wine. Jointly, five quantification methods have been developed and validated using liquid chromatography coupled with high resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC-Exactive, Orbitrap analyzer) in order to determine the amount of the selected bitter compounds.

Potential correlations between the described tastes of the wines and concentrations of bitter molecules have been assessed. For the most relevant compounds, detection thresholds have been updated using the same trained panel, enabling a better understanding of the impact of various compounds.

This study enlightens the role of already known bitter compounds in bitter wine. It is also leading the way to further research as some wine’s taste remain unexplained by the selected compounds, thus confirming the potential presence of still unknown bitter compounds.

 

1. Bauer, R., Cowan, D. A., Crouch, A., 2010. Acrolein in wine : importance of 3-hydroxypropionaldehyde and derivatives in production and detection. J. Agric. Food Chem. 58, 3243-3250.
2. Cretin, B., Sallembien, Q., Sindt, L., Daugey, N., Buffeteau, T., Waffo-Teguo, P., Dubourdieu, D., Marchal, A., 2015. How stereochemistry influences the taste of wine : Isolation, characterization and sensory evaluation of lyoniresinol stereoisomers. Analytica chimica acta. 888, 191-198.
3. Cretin, B., Dubourdieu, D., Marchal, A., 2018. Influence of ethanol content on sweetness and bitterness perception in dry wines. Food science & technology. 87, 61-66.
4. Hufnagel, J.C., Hofmann, T., 2008. Quantitative reconstruction of the nonvolatile sensometabolome of a red wine. J. Agric. Food Chem. 56, 9190-9199.
5. Roudot-Algaron, F., 1996. Le goût des acides aminés, des peptides et des protéines : exemple de peptides sapides dans les hydrolysats de caséines. Lait. 76, 313-348.

DOI:

Publication date: February 9, 2024

Issue: OENO Macrowine 2023

Type: Article

Authors

Tom Estier1,2 and Axel Marchal1,2

1. Univ. Bordeaux, Bordeaux INP, INRAE, OENO, UMR 1366, ISVV, F-33140 Villenave d’Ornon, France
2. Bordeaux Sciences Agro, Bordeaux INP, INRAE, OENO, UMR 1366, ISVV, F-33170 Gradignan, France

Contact the author*

Keywords

LC-MS quantification, sensory analysis, bitterness, wine

Tags

IVES Conference Series | oeno macrowine 2023 | oeno-macrowine

Citation

Related articles…

WHICH IMPACT FOR PROANTHOCYANIDIC TANNINS ON RED WINE FRUITY AROMA? SENSORY AND PHYSICOCHEMICAL APPROACHES

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.

Read More

CHANGES IN METABOLIC FLUXES UNDER LOW PH GROWTH CONDITIONS: CAN THE SLOWDOWN OF CITRATE CONSUMPTION IMPROVE OENOCOCCUS OENI ACID-TOLERANCE?

Oenococcus oeni is the main Lactic Acid Bacteria responsible for malolactic fermentation, converting malic acid into lactic acid and carbon dioxide in wines. Following the alcoholic fermentation, this second fermentation ensures a deacidification and remains essential for the release of aromatic notes and the improvement of microbial stability in many wines. Nevertheless, wine is a harsh environment for microbial growth, especially because of its low pH (between 2.9 and 3.6 depending on the type of wine) and nutrient deficiency. In order to maintain homeostasis and ensure viability, O. oeni possesses different cellular mechanisms including organic acid metabolisms which represent also the major pathway to synthetize energy in wine.

Read More

Searching for the sweet spot: a focus on wine dealcoholization

It is well known that the vinification of grapes at full maturation can produce rich, full-bodied wines,
with intense and complex flavour profiles. However, the juice obtained from such grapes may have very
high sugar concentration, resulting in wines with an excessive concentration of ethanol. In addition, the decoupling between technological maturity and phenolic/aromatic one due to global warming, exacerbates this problem in some wine-growing regions. In parallel with the increase of the mean alcohol content of wines on the market, also the demand for reduced alcohol beverages has increased in recent years, mainly as a result of health and social concerns about the risks related to the consumption of alcohol.

Read More

EFFECTS OF WINEMAKING FACTORS AND AGEING ON THE POLYPHENOLIC AND COLORIMETRIC PROFILES IN RED WINES PRONE TO COLOUR INSTABILITY

The effects of (A) grape freezing, and (B) malolactic fermentation, have been evaluated on the chemical and colorimetric profiles of red wines from Schiava grossa cv. grapes, thus prone to colour instability. The aim was to observe if specific variables (e.g. grape freezing) could improve the extraction and stability of pigments. The samples were studied from musts up to twelve months in bottle. The study was conducted with independent parallel micro-vinifications (12 = 4 theses x 3 replicates) under strictly-controlled conditions.

Read More

NEW TOOL FOR SIMULTANEOUS MEASUREMENT OF OXYGEN CONSUMPTION AND COLOUR MODIFICATIONS IN WINES

Measuring the effect of oxygen consumption on the colour of wines as the level of dissolved oxygen decreases over time is very useful to know how much oxygen a wine is able to consume without significantly altering its colour. The changes produced in wine after being exposed to high oxygen concen-trations have been studied by different authors, but in all cases the wine has been analysed once the oxygen consumption process has been completed. This work presents the results obtained with the use of an equipment designed and made to measure simultaneously the level of dissolved oxygen and the spectrum of the wine, during the oxygen consumption process from saturation levels with air to very low levels, which indicate the total consumption of the dosed oxygen.

Read More