Terroir 2020 banner
IVES 9 IVES Conference Series 9 Chemical boundaries of wine identity: rationalizing grape and wine aroma diversity for improved terroir management

Chemical boundaries of wine identity: rationalizing grape and wine aroma diversity for improved terroir management

Abstract

Aims: Wine perceived quality lies on a number of different factors. Among these, sensory features, which are in turn dependent on chemical composition, play a primary role. There is traditionally a great emphasis on producing wines that have specific sensory profiles, particularly aroma, that reflect identity features connected to the place and the variety of origin. In the case of high quality wines there is also an expectation for enhances longevity. In this paper, we examine the main chemical drivers of wine geographical identity, its relationship with longevity and the (bio)chemical processes leading to their occurrence in wine. 

Methods and Results: results from different studies are covered, highlighting the importance of understanding the aroma chemical fingerprint of individual wine types in order to manage regional identity/terroir/cru expression accordingly. The contribution of different volatiles to the expression of typical aroma attributes is defined. 

Conclusions:

based on existing knowledge, the possibility to rationalize viticultural and winemaking practices to enhance the expression of aroma-relevant terroir features is limited to a restricted number of grape varieties. For most of the wines produced globally this process is still based on anectodal observations.

Significance and Impact of the Study: aroma chemical components to specific aroma attributes reflecting geographical identity and terroir are identified, in particular for different Italian wines.

Download the PDF

DOI:

Publication date: March 25, 2021

Issue: Terroir 2020

Type : Video

Authors

Maurizio Ugliano*, Davide Slaghenaufi, Giovanni Luzzini, Jessica Samaniego Solis

Department of Biotechnology, University of Verona, via della Pieve, 70, 37029 San Pietro in Cariano (VR), Italy

Contact the author

Keywords

Wine aroma, geographical identity, terroir, terpenes, norisoprenoids, volatile sulfur compounds

Tags

IVES Conference Series | Terroir 2020

Citation

Related articles…

Aspects concernant les relations entre quelques composantes de la biomasse viticole, en fonction de l’offre des ressources écologiques

Ecological resources represent vegetation factors, or even production factors, in quantitative expression. These, used by plants, transformed and organized according to their genetic program, become the material components of biomass. Subsequently, the ecological resources can be used as synthetic indicators of the ecological supply, necessary for the analysis of favorability for the understanding of ecosystems.

Read More

Polyphenols in kombucha: Metabolomic analysis of biotransformations during fermentation

Kombucha is a non-alcoholic beverage made of sugared tea that is transformed by a symbiotic consortium of yeasts and bacteria. This beverage is increasingly produced at industrial scale, but its quality standards remain to be defined. Metabolomics analysis was carried out using FT-ICR-MS to understand the chemical transformations induced by the production phases and the type of tea on

Read More

Vegetative propagation during domestication – rooting ability of wild grapevines

The origins of plant propagation trace back to the moment of early humans’ transition from a nomadic existence to settled agricultural societies, cultivating their food.

Read More

The effect of wine cork closures on volatile sulfur compounds during accelerated post-bottle ageing in Shiraz wines

Reduced off-flavour is an organoleptic defect due to an excess of volatile sulfur compounds (VSC) in wine and often happening in Shiraz wines. This off-flavour is a direct consequence of the lack of oxygen flow during winemaking and bottle storage. Therefore, wine closure could have a direct impact on the formation of VSC due to the oxygen transfer rate that can modulate their levels. Even if dimethylsulfide (DMS) contributes to reduced off-flavor, it is also a fruity note enhancer in wine and its evolution during wine ageing is not well understood.

Read More

Lean management to improve sustainability in wine sector: an exploratory study in the Prosecco DOC appellation

The contemporary wine sector confronts a formidable array of challenges, including burgeoning production costs and the constricted availability of natural resources. Heightened consumer awareness regarding sustainability issues further compounds these pressures, compelling companies to adopt more judicious resource utilization strategies. In response to these imperatives, there is a growing recognition of the need to overhaul production methodologies within the wine industry with a view to minimizing inputs and eliminating waste.

Read More