Sensory characterisation of dealcoholised wines

Abstract

Dealcoholised wines have attracted increasing interest from both producers and consumers because they respond to demand for healthier beverages with lower alcohol content while aiming to preserve the sensory experience of wine. Dealcoholisation, however, inherently modifies aroma, taste and mouthfeel. This study evaluated eight wines: five dealcoholised wines (four white and one red) and three conventional reference wines (one white, one red, and one aged red). Samples were assessed in duplicate by a trained panel following previously established descriptive methodologies. White and red wines were analysed separately. Analysis of variance and discriminant analysis were applied to quantitative attributes, while a k-proportions test was used for qualitative attributes. Overall, sensory differences were found between dealcoholised and reference wines. During olfactory assessment, significant differences were identified in floral and fruity families, both in intensity and in the occurrence of specific qualitative attributes. Significant differences in perceived acidity were also observed during taste and mouthfeel evaluation. Dealcoholised wines therefore represent an emerging market opportunity and respond to new consumption patterns, but important technical challenges remain before their sensory quality can match that of conventional wines.

References

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank the tasters of the Official Wine Tasting Panel of Catalonia and the INCAVI communications team.