Macrowine 2021
IVES 9 IVES Conference Series 9 Sensory definition of green aroma concept in red French wines. Evidence for the contribution of novel volatile markers

Sensory definition of green aroma concept in red French wines. Evidence for the contribution of novel volatile markers

Abstract

The aromatic complexity of a wine results from the perception of the association of volatile molecules and each aroma can be categorized into different families. The “green” aromas family in red wines has retained our attention by its close link with the fruity perception. In that study, the “green” olfactory concept of red wines was considered through a strategy combining both sensory analysis and hyphenated chromatographic techniques including HPLC and MDGC (Multidimensional Gas Chromatography). The aromatic space of this concept was specified by lexical generation through a free association task on 22 selected wines by a panel of wine experts. Then, 70 French red wines were scored on the basis of the intensity of their “green” and “fruity” attributes. The relationship between these two families and chemical markers (2-methoxy-3-isobutyl, 3-isopropyl and 3-sec-butyl pyrazines and C6 alcohol compounds) was assessed. Strong anti-correlation between “green” and “fruity” was demonstrated but no significant correlations could be established with known molecular markers associated with fresh green characters. So, the contribution of other aromatic compounds was formulated in particular with the level of grape maturation. Microvinifications of Cabernet-Sauvignon grapes from Medoc vineyard harvested at two ripeness stages were done during 2014 and 2015 vintages. The so-obtained wines were extracted with organic solvents and the concentrated extracts were fractioned by semi-preparative HPLC. Among fifty fractions collected, one was particularly highlighted for its green aromas. The sensory impact of this fraction was first confirmed by omission and reconstitution tests. To determine the molecules responsible for green flavour of this fraction, GC-O (Gas Chromatography coupled with Olfactometry) and MDGC-O/Time-Of-Flight-MS were considered. 2-Methoxy-3-isobutyl-pyrazine well known as IBMP (bell pepper descriptor) was identified as one of the compounds responsible for the aroma of this fraction with two other odoriferous compounds presenting a green aroma. One belongs to terpene family, 1,8-cineole (herbs, fresh and eucalyptus descriptors), usually associated in wines with eucalyptus trees contamination. 1,8-cineole was definitively evidenced as a Vitis vinifera compound with concentrations assayed in wines from unripe grapes and other wines from Carmenet family close or higher to olfactory detection threshold (1 µg/l). 1,8-cineole concentrations were shown to decrease like IBMP during ripeness. The other compound was identified as methyl salicylate (fresh, leafy and wintergreen descriptors), a derivative of salicylic acid, sometimes quantified in wine samples at concentrations much higher than its detection threshold (40 µg/l). Supplementation tests at assayed concentrations in red wines for these two compounds exhibited a sensory impact on green aromas and a synergic effect was noticed with IBMP on the enhancement of the green flavour in red wines.

Publication date: May 17, 2024

Issue: Macrowine 2016

Type: Article

Authors

Xavier Poitou*, Philippe Darriet

*ISVV

Contact the author

Tags

IVES Conference Series | Macrowine | Macrowine 2016

Citation

Related articles…

Development of a new sustainable filtering media for wine and beer clarification and sterilisation

Different separation techniques are frequently used during vinification process. Nowadays, clarification and microbiological stabilization of wine or beer can be done using precoat filters or crossflow filters to remove yeast and bacteria. Kieselguhr powders are the most used filter aids for precoat filtration. Their crystalline structure and their pulverulent nature induce ecotoxicological risks when used. Moreover, regeneration and reuse of these filter aids is not efficient and the filtration waste requires cost effective retreatment.

On the losses of dissolved CO2 during champagne aging

A misconception lingers in the minds of some wine consumers that Champagne wines don’t age. It’s largely a myth, certainly as far as the best cuvees are concerned. Actually, during the so-called autolysis period of time (in the closed bottle, after the “prise de mousse”), complex chemical reactions take place when the wine remains in contact with the dead yeast cells, which progressively bring complex and very much sought-after aromas to champagne. Nevertheless, despite their remarkable impermeability to liquid and air, caps or natural cork stoppers used to cork the bottles are not 100% hermetic with regard to gas transfers. Gas species therefore very slowly diffuse through the cap or cork stopper, along their respective inverse partial pressure. After the “prise de mousse”, because the partial pressure of CO2 in the bottleneck reaches up to 6 bars (at 12 °C), gaseous CO2 progressively diffuse from the bottle to the ambient air
(where the partial pressure of gaseous CO2 is only of order of 0,0004 bar).

Characterization of Glycosidically Bound Aroma Compounds of País cv. grapes of different Chilean zones

País grape has been estimated to arrive to Chile almost 500 years ago, being the first strain grown in this country. Traditionally, this grape has been used to mix with other varieties, to produce poor quality wines, but today is beginning to be used in the production of high quality wines. However, very little is known about the chemical characteristics of this variety. The aroma is one of the most important quality attributes of wine. Volatile compounds of this beverage may come from the grape (varietal aromas), from the fermentation process, from the ageing. The aromatic compounds are found in the grape in two forms: as free volatile compounds and as non-volatile compounds. The last ones, are aroma precursors present mainly as glycoconjugates formed by a sugar and an aglycone…

Interest and impact of PVP/PVI (Polyvinylpyrrolidone/ Polyvinylimidazole) on winemaking and final quality of wines

Céline Sparrow a, Christophe Morge a, a SOFRALAB SAS, 79, av. A.A. Thévenet – CS 11031 – 51530 Magenta, France Consumers’ health and security force authorities to limit, in wine as in others food industry products, the concentration in « dangerous » molecules. Therefore the legal limit in heavy metals keeps on decreasing. As per proof EU regulation just decrease the stain concentration in wine from 0,2 to 0,15 mg/l. Certain changes , such as sodium arsenite treatment in vines, disappearance of brass in wineries to the benefit of stainless steel, limit even more the concentration of heavy metals in wines. But the use of copper derivates in vines treatments is difficult to replace. In the case of wine and its elaboration, the problem is even more complex. Indeed, regulation forces the wine producers to control the concentration of certain heavy metals in final wines.

New biological tools to control and secure malolactic fermentation in high pH wines

Originally, the role of the malolactic fermentation (MLF) was simply to improve the microbial stability of wine via biological deacidification. However, there is an accumulation of evidence to support the fact that lactic acid bacteria (LAB) also contribute positively to the taste and aroma of wine. Many different LAB enter into grape juice and wine from the surface of grape berries, cluster stems, vine leaves, soil and winery equipment. Due to the highly selective environment of juices and wine, only a few types of LAB are able to grow.