Macrowine 2021
IVES 9 IVES Conference Series 9 South Africa’s top 10 Sauvignon blanc wines. How do the chemical and sensory profiles compare?

South Africa’s top 10 Sauvignon blanc wines. How do the chemical and sensory profiles compare?

Abstract

FNB Top 10 Sauvignon Blanc competition, presented by the Sauvignon Blanc Interest Group of South Africa and sponsored by First National Bank, is the country’s foremost platform for producers of this cultivar to showcase and benchmark their wines. Wines entered in the competition originated from all over the winegrowing regions of the country and the winning wines showed good representation of quality South African Sauvignon blanc wines. The ten selected wines were subjected to various chemical analyses including volatile thiol and methoxypyrazine determination, while the sensory profile of each wine was determined using projective mapping. Results showed great diversity in Sauvignon blanc wine styles: from fresh and fruity to green to wooded wines. The sensory results of the selected wines did not always correspond to the chemical profile highlighting the importance of other aroma compounds impacting the wines as well as interactions occurring between volatile compounds. This evaluation supplies the local and international market with information on South African Sauvignon blanc production and quality wine selection.

Publication date: May 17, 2024

Issue: Macrowine 2016

Type: Poster

Authors

Carien Coetzee*, Wessel du Toit

*University of Stellenbosch

Contact the author

Tags

IVES Conference Series | Macrowine | Macrowine 2016

Citation

Related articles…

New acylated flavonols identified in the grape skin of Vitis vinifera cv. Tannat and their wines

Flavonols are a class of flavonoid compounds derived from plant secondary metabolism. There they play different roles like antioxidants, internal regulators and UV screenings. In red wines, flavonols have increasingly received consideration by part of scientific and winemakers according their properties began to arise known. Among these stand out wine colour stabilization and their value as bioactive compounds. In this work the complete series of the acetylated and p-coumaroylated derivatives of the 3-O-glycosides of methoxylated flavonols, namely isorhamnetin, laricitrin and syringetin, have been identified in grapes and their respective wines from Vitis vinifera cv. Tannat.

Mean polymerization degree of proanthocyanidins of grape seeds, skins and wines from Agiorgitiko (cv. Vitis vinifera): Differences among vintages

Grape phenolic compounds are very important constituents of red wine because, in addition to their antioxidant properties, they contribute to color, astringency and bitterness, oxidation reactions, interactions with proteins and ageing behavior of wines. The aim of our study was to assess the structural characteristics of grape and wine proanthocyanidins of Agiorgitiko variety and to evaluate the influence of the vintage year. Twelve vineyard locations were designated in the Nemea wine region. For three consecutive years (2012-2014), the grapes were harvested at technological maturity and the method of phloroglucinolysis was employed to determine the mean degree of polymerization (mDP) and subunit composition of the samples.

Impact of elemental sulfur (S0) residues in Sauvignon blanc juice on the formation of the varietal thiols 3-mercapto hexanol and 3-mercaptohexyl acetate

Elemental sulfur is a fungicide used by grape growers to control the development of powdery mildew, caused by the fungus Erysiphe necator. This compound is effective, cheap and has a low toxicity with no withholding period recommended. However, high levels of S0 residues in the harvested grapes can lead to the formation of reductive sulfur compounds that can impart taints and faults to the wine. Hydrogen sulphide (H2S) is a very volatile and unpleasant sulfur compound which formation is connected to high residues of S0 in juice (10 – 100 mg/L).

Ethyl esters interact with the major wine Thaumatin Like Protein VVTL1

The interactions among aromatic compounds and proteins is an important issue for the quality of foods and beverages. In wine, the loss of flavor after vinification is associated to bentonite treatment and this effect can be the result of the removal of aroma compounds which are bound wine proteins. This phenomenon was recently demonstrated for long chain fatty acids and their ethyl esters (1). Since these latter compounds are spectroscopically silent, their association with proteins is not easy to measure.

How do different oak treatment affect the sensory composition of Chenin blanc wines over time?

Wooden barrels have been the preferred method for oak maturation for wines, but the use of alternative oak products, such as staves and oak chips have increased in South Africa due to lower production costs. This study investigated the effect of different oak products used during fermentation and ageing on the sensory profile, degree of liking and perceived quality of a South African Chenin blanc wine. The different wine treatments included an unoaked tank control wine, wines matured in 5th fill barrels, wines matured in new barrels from three different cooperages, and wines matured in 5th fill barrels with stave inserts from two different cooperages.