terclim by ICS banner
IVES 9 IVES Conference Series 9 CHEMICAL DRIVERS OF POSITIVE REDUCTION IN NEW ZEALAND CHARDONNAY WINES

CHEMICAL DRIVERS OF POSITIVE REDUCTION IN NEW ZEALAND CHARDONNAY WINES

Abstract

According to winemakers, wine experts and sommeliers, aromas of wet stone, mineral, struck match and flint in white wines styles, such as those produced from Vitis vinifera L. cv. Chardonnay, are considered to be hallmarks of positive reduction.1,2 In recent years, the production of Chardonnay styles defined by aroma characteristics related to positive reduction has become more desirable among wine experts and consumers. The chemical basis of positive reduction is thought to originate from the concentration of specific volatile sulfur compounds (VSCs), including methanethiol (MeSH) imparting mineral and chalk notes,3 and benzenemethanethiol (BMT) responsible for struck match and flint.1,4 However, the role of other aroma compounds, including esters, higher alcohols, and other VSCs, and their contribution to the sensory perception of positive reduction in New Zealand (NZ) Chardonnay wines has not been fully investigated. We selected 12 commercial NZ Chardonnay wines to represent a range of styles from low to high intensities of mineral and flint. Wine aroma profiles were analysed using headspace solid phase microextraction (HS-SPME) coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Quantitative descriptive analysis (QDA) was performed on the same wines using a trained panel. Wines varied greatly in both their chemical and sensorial characteristics. Multivariate analysis showed that there were several key VSCs found to be explanatory variables driving the perception of attributes related to positive reduction in the NZ Chardonnay wines. These results will be presented in the context of winemaking techniques that can be applied by the industry to achieve Chardonnay styles with positive reduction, if desired by the winemaker.

 

1. Tominaga, T.; Guimbertau, G.; Dubourdieu, D. Contribution of Benzenemethanethiol to Smoky Aroma of Certain Vitis Vinifera 
L. Wines. J. Agric. Food Chem. 2003, 51 (5), 1373–1376. https://doi.org/10.1021/jf020756c.
2. Malfeito-Ferreira, M. Wine Minerality and Funkiness: Blending the Two Tales of the Same Story. Fermentation 2022, 8 (12). https://doi.org/10.3390/fermentation8120745.
3. Rodrigues, H.; Sáenz-Navajas, M.-P.; Franco-Luesma, E.; Valentin, D.; Fernández-Zurbano, P.; Ferreira, V.; De La Fuente Blanco, A.; Ballester, J. Sensory and Chemical Drivers of Wine Minerality Aroma: An Application to Chablis Wines. Food Chem. 2017, 230, 553–562. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2017.03.036.
4. Capone, D. L.; Barker, A.; Williamson, P. O.; Francis, I. L. The Role of Potent Thiols in Chardonnay Wine Aroma. Aust. J. Grape Wine Res. 2018, 24 (1), 38–50. https://doi.org/10.1111/ajgw.12294.

DOI:

Publication date: February 9, 2024

Issue: OENO Macrowine 2023

Type: Poster

Authors

Rebecca C.Deed1, Daisy Zhang¹, Jennifer R. Muhl², Mathilde Derycke²

1. School of Biological Sciences, The University of Auckland
2. School of Chemical Sciences, The University of Auckland

Contact the author*

Keywords

Chardonnay, Flint, Mineral, Volatile Sulfur Compounds

Tags

IVES Conference Series | oeno macrowine 2023 | oeno-macrowine

Citation

Related articles…

A synthesis approach on the impact of elevated CO2 on berry physiology and yield of Vitis vinifera

Besides the increase in global mean temperature the second main challenge of a changing climate is the increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) in relation to physiology and yield performance of grapevines. The benefits of increasing CO2 levels under greenhouse environment or open field studies have been well investigated for various annual crops. Research under free carbon dioxide enrichment on field-grown perennial plants such as grapevines is limited to a few studies. Further, chamber and greenhouse experiments have been conducted mostly on potted vines under eCO2 conditions.

Read More

A NEW STRATEGY AND METHODOLOGY FOR THE CHARACTERIZATION OF POLYPHENOLS IN FINING PRECIPITATE

Polyphenols are secondary metabolite widely distributed in plant kingdom such as in fruits, in grapes and in wine. During the winemaking process, polyphenols are extract from the skin and seed of the berries. Fining is an important winemaking step just before bottling which has an impact on wine stabilization and clarification. Most the time, fining agent are animal or vegetal protein while some of them can be synthetic polymer like PVPP or natural origin like bentonite.

Read More

FUNGAL CHITOSAN IS AN EFFICIENT ALTERNATIVE TO SULPHITES IN SPECIFIC WINEMAKING SITUATIONS

[lwp_divi_breadcrumbs home_text="IVES" use_before_icon="on" before_icon="||divi||400" module_id="publication-ariane" _builder_version="4.20.4" _module_preset="default" module_text_align="center" module_font_size="16px" text_orientation="center"...
Read More

IMPACT OF METSCHNIKOWIA PULCHERRIMA DURING FERMENTATION ON AROMATIC PROFILE OF VIDAL BLANC ICEWINE

Non-Saccharomyces yeasts not only increase microbial diversity during wine fermentation, but also have a positive effect on improving wine aroma. Among these non-Saccharomyces yeast species, Metschnikowia pulcherrima is often studied and used in winemaking in recent years, but its application in icewine has been rarely reported. In this study, indigenous M. pulcherrima strains and Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains (commercial and indigenous strains) were sequentially inoculated for icewine fermentations; meanwhile, pure S. cerevisiae fermentations were used as the control; indigenous strains used above were screened from spontaneous fermentations of Vidal blanc icewine.

Read More

A NEW TOOL TO QUANTIFY COMPOUNDS POTENTIALLY INVOLVED IN THE FRUITY AROMA OF RED WINES. DEVELOPMENT AND APPLICATION TO THE STU-DY OF THE FRUITY CHARACTER OF RED WINES MADE FROM VARIOUS GRAPE VARIETIES

A wide range of olfactory descriptors ranging from fresh and jammy fruit notes to cooked and oxidized fruit notes could describe the fruity aroma of red wines [1]. The fruity character of a wine is mainly related to the grape variety selected, to the terroir and the vinification process applied for its conception. In white wines, some volatile compounds confer directly their aroma to the wine while the question of “key” compound is more complex in red wines. According to many studies performed over the past decades, some fruity ethyl esters are directly involved in the fruity perception of red wines while others, present at subthreshold concentrations, participate indirectly to the fruity expression via perceptive interactions [2].

Read More