Terroir 2020 banner
IVES 9 IVES Conference Series 9 Multidisciplinary strategies for understanding ill-defined concepts

Multidisciplinary strategies for understanding ill-defined concepts

Abstract

Aims: The objective of the present work is to review strategies applied to decrypt multidimensional and ill-defined concepts employed by winemakers and to illustrate these strategies with recent applications.

Methods and Results: The first group of strategies are based in acceding long-term memory of experts including description and association tasks. For example, in a recent study, Spanish experts were asked to provide a sensory description of a green wine from memory. Terms such as “vegetal aroma” and “unpleasant/default” were shared by experts from different regions in Spain, while “excessive sourness”, “astringency” and a term linked to wine phenolic compounds such as “tannin” presented an important idiosyncrasy related to the region of origin of winemakers. Previously, a word association task was applied for understanding the concept of minerality. Place-related (Chablis, geology and terroir) and sensory dimensions (shellfish, chalky and freshness) appeared to be the core of the concept for Chablis winemakers. The second group of strategies involves sensory tasting and chemical characterization. It was used for deciphering perceived quality, minerality and green wine concepts. This strategy includes two main steps, description of samples and chemical analysis of volatile and non-volatile chemicals with sensory activity by either targeted or untargeted instrumental approaches. For example, for a set of Spanish red wines and following a targeted instrumental approach, the samples evaluated by Spanish experts as highest quality were associated to high levels of norisoprenoids, and low levels of whiskylactones and higher alcohols. 

Significance and Impact of the Study: The multidisciplinary approaches involving sensory (including both mental and tasting approaches) and chemical strategies are pertinent and effective for deciphering multidimensional and ill-defined concepts. These approaches are useful for improving the understanding and communication among people of the wine sector. These approaches can also help the industry to optimize grape and wine production stages to achieve the desired sensory characteristics by feeding into practices for modulating the composition of wine at different production stages. Finally, these approaches are an important source of knowledge for everyone interested in science of wine tasting.

Download the PDF

DOI:

Publication date: March 25, 2021

Issue: Terroir 2020

Type : Video

Authors

M.P. Sáenz-Navajas1*, H. Rodrigues2, D. Valentin3

1Laboratorio de Análisis del Aroma y Enología (LAAE), Department of Analytical Chemistry, Universidad de Zaragoza, Associated Unit to Institute for Vine and Wine Sciences-ICVV-(CSIC-GR-UR), Spain
2Plumpton College, Centre for excellence in Wine Education and Research, UK
3Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l’Alimentation, AgroSup Dijon, CNRS, INRAE, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, F-21000 Dijon, France

Contact the author

Keywords

Sensory, description, memory-based strategies, tasting, sensory-active

Tags

IVES Conference Series | Terroir 2020

Citation

Related articles…

Blend wines made of Syrah, Marselan and Tannat, had better color and more phenolic diversity than varietal wines

Background: Elaborating red-wines from grape cultivars with different polyphenolic profiles could improve wine color and its phenolic-dependent characteristics

Read More

Cell-to-cell contact modulates Starmerella bacillaris early death in mixed fermentations with Saccharomyces cerevisiae in a couple-dependent way

AIM: The diversity and complexity of the fermentation ecosystem during wine making limits the successful prediction of wine characteristics. The use of selected starter cultures has allowed a better control of the fermentation process and the production of wines with established characteristics. Among them, the use of mixed fermentations with Starmerella bacillaris and Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeasts has gained attention in recent years due to the fructophylic nature of the first and the ability of this inoculation protocol to reduce the acetic acid and ethanol content of the wines.

Read More

Characterizing graft union formation in different scion/rootstock combinations of grapevine 

In most viticultural regions, grapevines are cultivated grafted, employing either hybrid or pure species of various American Vitis spp., such as V. berlandieri, V. rupestris, and V. riparia, as grapevine rootstocks. These rootstocks play a crucial role in providing resistance to the Phylloxera insect pest. Beyond Phylloxera resistance, it is desirable for grapevine rootstocks to exhibit resistance to other soil-borne pathogens and adaptability to abiotic stress conditions. The introduction of new rootstocks holds promise for adapting agriculture to climate change without altering the characteristics of the final harvested product.

Read More

Mycorrhizal symbiosis modulates flavonoid and amino acid profiles in grapes of Tempranillo and Cabernet Sauvignon 

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) symbiosis is probably the most widespread beneficial interaction between plants and microorganisms. AMF has been widely reported to promote grapevine growth, water and nutrient uptake as well as both biotic and abiotic stress tolerance[1]. However, the impact of AMF on grape composition has been less studied. The aim of this work was to evaluate the effects of the association between two commercial grapevine cultivars (Tempranillo and Cabernet Sauvignon grafted onto 110 rootstock) and AMF on the anthocyanin, flavonol and amino acid concentrations and profiles of grapes.

Read More

Nutrients and heavy metals in a vineyard soil under organic, biodynamic and conventional management

Promoting sustainable agricultural practices is one of the challenges of the last decades. Organic and biodynamic viticulture can be an alternative to intensive viticulture, furthermore contributing to reduction of impact on environment and human health and guaranteeing soil preservation and quality products1. The aim of this experimentation was to evaluate the medium and long-term effects of different agronomic practices in viticulture on nutrient availability and heavy metal accumulation in soil.

Read More