South American Creole grapevines: new varieties identified in the Caravelí Valley (Peru) and their aromatic profile

Abstract

The valley of Caravelí (Peru) received the first vine plants in colonial times and the tradition of cultivation is maintained thanks to its terroir and artisanal techniques. In order to maintain the tradition and pass it on to the next generations, the vines were geo-referenced (1780 m,18 L 678350 8253911), and DNA tests were carried out, where two non-catalogued varieties were identified [1]. The non-catalogued varieties are Jaén (white grape) and Cantarilla (red grape), which had a genetic profile inherited from the varieties Moscatel de Alejandría and Listan Prieto, and it is a heritage from Perú. To test the potential of these varieties for wine production, the researchers made varietal wines from them and a very important attribute that gives quality and character to the wines is the aromatic profile [2]. For the aromatic analysis of these two varieties, the wine samples were injected in triplicate and analysed by HS-SPME/GC-MS. Even if these two varieties are new clones from Listan Prieto and Moscatel de Alejandría, they present different phenotypes, and it can also be evaluated in the aromatic profile of them. Jaén cultivar showed higher amounts of terpenoid compounds (α-terpineol, linalool, β-damascenone, nerol oxide), ethyl esters and their precursors volatile fatty acids (C6, C8, C10, C12), which contributes to the wine of this variety showing aromas of pineapple, manzanilla, pear, peach, variety in which the fruity character (citrus and stone fruit) stands out. On the other hand, the Cantarilla variety presents a lower quantity of these compounds and stands out for its floral aroma, due to the higher quantity of the phenethyl alcohol compound that smells of rose. The attributes of the varietal wines were evaluated by sommelier professionals and the descriptors pointed by them were very similar to the chemical data. Thus, besides additional harvests that should be done to characterize the aroma and phenolic profiles of these varieties, Jaén and Cantarilla varietal wines have a great potential to be produced and marketed by Peruvian winemakers.

References

[1] Ruiz-Eldredge, S.D. (2024). Tesis para optar por el título de ingeniero agrônomo, 171 pp.

[2] Pati, S., Tufariello, M., Crupi, P., Coletta, A., Grieco, F., Losito, I. (2021). Processes, 9, 662.