CONSUMER PERCEPTION OF INTERSPECIFIC HYBRID RED WINE COLOR IN RELATION TO ANTHOCYANIN PROFILE AND CHEMICAL COLOR PARAMETERS

Abstract

Interspecific hybrid winegrapes are of growing interest in the context of climate change based on their disease resistance and cold hardiness. In addition to a need for increased understanding of their chemical composition, there is little empirical evidence on the consumer perception of non-vinifera wine. Phenolic compounds, and particularly color, play an important organoleptic and quality determination role in wine, but can vary significantly in interspecific hybrid wines compared to wines produced from Vitis vinifera cultivars [1, 2, 3]. Anecdotally, the variation in anthocyanin species, interactions, and concentrations in interspecific hybrids could result in a variance from“vinifera-like” wine color.

Eight commercial wines were sourced from regions across the United States, including five non-vinifera monovarietal wines (Corot noir, Maréchal Foch, Marquette, Norton, and St. Croix) and three Pinot noirs from France, Oregon, and New York. The selection of Pinot noir from three representative regions was to create a context of a Vitis vinifera cultivar with a unique anthocyanin profile. The eight wines were used in a consumer perception sensory analysis, where red wine consumers reported hedonic liking for a selection of color parameters as well as ‘expected liking’ prior to tasting the wine and ‘actual liking’ following in-mouth evaluation. Chemical analyses of these eight wines and eleven other non-vinifera wines included UV-Vis spectrophotometry, CIEL*a*b* colorimetry, and anthocyanin analysis via high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) and mass spectrometry (MS).

For all color parameters, the wines ranked highest for liking included Maréchal Foch, St. Croix, and the Pinot noirs from France and Oregon. Wines with higher L* values (lighter color) and higher b* values (more brown hues), including Corot noir, Norton, and Pinot noir from New York, were less liked than darker wines with less brown hues. Notably, panelists reported that quality expectations formed from visual inspection did not match their actual liking of the wine.

Interestingly, this work suggests that color is only a weak predictor for actual liking of a wine. Furthermore, it is possible that the potential diversity of color from interspecific hybrid wines falls within the range of colors of the different cultivars and styles of wine produced around the world, allowing further research to move away from the goal of “vinifera-like” color in optimizing interspecific red wine production.