Terroir 2020 banner
IVES 9 IVES Conference Series 9 Unravelling regional typicality of Australian premium Shiraz through an untargeted metabolomics approach

Unravelling regional typicality of Australian premium Shiraz through an untargeted metabolomics approach

Abstract

Aims: The current study seeks to demonstrate that premium Shiraz wines from different Australian geographic indications (GI) can be distinguished by their volatile compound composition. 

Method and Results: Barossa, McLaren Vale, Hunter Valley, Canberra District, Heathcote and Yarra Valley were selected to represent a range of climatic conditions. In each region, three to four wines were chosen by a panel of local winemakers to represent the regional wine styles. Volatile fractions of all wines (n = 22) were extracted from 3 bottles, using a solid phase extraction protocol. The extracts were analysed in random order with GC-EI-QTOFMS. Features (a feature is an ion fragment with unique m/z, retention time and intensity) were extracted from the raw MS data and then grouped and deconvoluted, to give 321 ‘compound’ spectra. The feature with the highest intensity in each spectrum was taken to build a classification model using the random forests (RF) algorithm. This model was able to correctly classify all samples according to their GI. Features with lower contributions to the model were gradually eliminated, and 80 features were found to be sufficient to maintain the accuracy of classification. Of these 80 features, 45 were tentatively identified by comparing their mass spectra and Kovats retention indices with either an in-house library or the NIST 14 library. A range of these compounds, including terpenoids, benzenoids, esters, furan derivatives and aliphatic alcohols, have been associated with grape composition, wine making influences and the aging process.

Conclusion:

This study showed that Shiraz wines from different GIs have unique volatile ‘fingerprints’. These classifications may be associated with the unique terroir of the GI, which includes climatic and production differences. Well-designed processing tools for MS data and robust data mining algorithms served as a powerful combination of techniques to uncover the regional ‘fingerprints’.

Significance and Impact of the Study: This study realised the challenging assignment of separating commercial Shiraz wines from six GIs according to their volatile composition. Forming a part of a broader project that include sensory and climate data, it helps to benchmark regional styles of Australian Shiraz wine.  

DOI:

Publication date: March 17, 2021

Issue: Terroir 2020

Type: Video

Authors

Sijing Li1*, Leigh Schmidtke1, Wes Pearson1,2, Leigh Francis2, John Blackman1

1National Wine and Grape Industry Centre, Charles Sturt University, School of Agricultural and Wine Science, Locked Bag 588, Wagga Wagga, NSW 2678, Australia
2The Australian Wine Research Institute, PO Box 197, Glen Osmond, SA 5064, Australia

Contact the author

Keywords

Terroir, metabolomics, Australia, Shiraz, climate

Tags

IVES Conference Series | Terroir 2020

Citation

Related articles…

The impacts of frozen material-other-than-grapes (MOG) on aroma compounds of red wine varieties

An undesirable note called “floral taint” has been observed in red wines by winemakers in the Niagara region caused by large volumes of frozen leaves and petioles [materials-other-than-grapes (MOG)] introduced during mechanical harvest and subsequent winemaking late in the season. The volatiles, which we hypothesized are responsible, are primarily terpenes, norisoprenoids, and specific esters in frozen leaves and petioles. The purpose of this study was to investigate the volatile compounds which may cause the floral taint problem and explore how much of them (thresholds) may lead to the problem. Also, the glycosidic precursors of some of these compounds were analyzed to see the changes happening during frost events.

Aromatic profile of six different clones of Chardonnay grape berries in Minas Gerais (Brazil)

Aromas are one of the key points in food analysis since they are related to character, quality and consequently consumer acceptance. It is not different in the winery industry, where the aromatic profile is a combination of viticultural and oenological practices. Based on the development of more aromatic clones and on the potential to produce sparkling wines at Caldas, in the southern region of Minas Gerais (Brazil) (21°55´S and 46°23´W, altitude 1,100m), the aim of this work was the determination of volatile compounds in six different clones of Chardonnay grape berries to better understand which compounds add bouquet to the wine, and additionally comprehend the impacts of the edaphoclimatic and annual conditions on the improvement of grape-growing and winemaking practices.

Improving stilbenes in vitis Labrusca L. Grapes through methyl jasmonate applications

Grapes (Vitis sp.) are considered a major source of phenolic compounds such as flavonols, anthocyanins and stilbenes. Studies related to the beneficial effects of these compounds on health have encouraged research aimed at increasing their concentration in fruits. On this behalf, several plant growth regulators such as jasmonic acid and its volatile ester, methyl-jasmonate (MeJa), have demonstrated promising results in many fruits. However, Brazilian subtropical climate might interfere on treatment response. The present study aims to evaluate the application of MeJa in the pre-harvest period in Concord and Isabel Precoce grapes (Vitis labrusca L.).

Service crop effects on grapevine water and nitrogen status and yield under Mediterranean climate

Service crops in vineyard can provide multiple ecosystem services but they can also lead to competition with the grapevine for soil resources in the Mediterranean region due to potential severe droughts (Garcia et al., 2018). One of the levers of action to manage this competition is the choice of species adapted in terms of growth dynamics and water and nutrients’ needs. The objectives of this study were to determine the effect of temporary service crops on grapevine water and nitrogen status and grapevine yield and yield components in a Mediterranean vineyard.

Impact of deficit irrigation strategies on terpene concentration in Gewürztraminer grapes

Deficit irrigation is a viticultural practice often applied to improve the phenolic composition of red grapes and wines. However, the impact of this practice on grape terpenes – key aromatics for several grapes and wines – remains largely unknown. This study investigated the impact of deficit irrigation strategies on free and glycosylated terpenes in Gewürztraminer grapes. In a field study conducted in Oliver, BC, in 2016, 2017, and 2018, deficit irrigation regimes were applied to Gewürztraminer vines at different developmental stages (pre-veraison = Early Deficit, ED; post-veraison = Late Deficit, LD; throughout the season = Prolonged Deficit, PD). A well-irrigated control (CN) treatment was also established.