Macrowine 2021
IVES 9 IVES Conference Series 9 Tropical fruit aroma in white wines: the role of fermentation esters and volatile thiols

Tropical fruit aroma in white wines: the role of fermentation esters and volatile thiols

Abstract

Volatile thiols are impact aroma compounds, well-known in the literature for imparting tropical fruit aromas such as passion fruit, guava, grapefruit, and citrus in white wines [1]. More recent evidence suggests that tropical fruit aromas are also caused by other aroma compounds besides thiols, such as fermentation esters, or the interaction between these volatile families. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate the effects of combining esters and/or thiols to determine their impact on the fruitiness aroma perception of white wines. Pinot gris wine was produced at the OSU research winery and was dearomatized using Lichrolut® EN. Combinations of fermentation volatile compounds were added to the wine, forming the aroma base. Treatment wines were composed of additions of different concentrations and combinations of thiols and/or esters. Samples were subjected to sensory analysis where forty-six white wine consumers evaluated the orthonasal aroma of the wines and participated in Check-All-That-Apply (CATA). Following the results obtained by CATA, samples were subjected to a Sensory Descriptive Analysis (SDA) panel where 13 trained panellists evaluated the intensity of the most used aroma attributes elicited by consumers. Thiol treatments without the presence of esters contributed to earthy and grassy aromas. Overall, tropical fruit aromas were detected in the several treatments containing esters and esters + thiols. Differences in the intensity of the aroma attributes were observed as well . This study showed that esters and thiols are necessary for tropical fruit aroma causation in white wines. Therefore, grape growers and winemakers should adapt viticultural and winemaking conditions to increase the concentrations of both aroma families and therefore enhance the tropical fruit aroma perception in white wines.

DOI:

Publication date: September 24, 2021

Issue: Macrowine 2021

Type: Article

Authors

Angelica Iobbi, Elizabeth Tomasino

Oregon State University, OR, USA, 

Contact the author

Keywords

aroma causation, check-all-that-apply, sensory descriptive analysis, tropical fruit aroma, white wine

Citation

Related articles…

HPLC and SEC analysis on the flavonoids and the skin cell wall material of Merlot berries reveals new insights into the study of the phenolic maturity

Anthocyanins and tannins contribute to important sensorial traits of red wines, such as color and mouthfeel attributes.

Read More

Evaluation of aroma characteristics in Vitis amurensis grapes across different regions by using HS-SPME-GC/MS

Background: Aroma compounds are important secondary metabolite in grapes and play important roles in the flavor and quality of grape berries and their wines. Vitis amurensis grape belongs to the East Asian Vitis spp., with excellent cold and disease resistance, and exhibits strong brewing potential. However, it has not been effectively utilized and there is no systematic research on the aroma compounds of V. amurensis grapes.
Methods: To provide sufficient experimental evidence for the characteristic aroma of V. amurensis grape, HS-SPME-GC/MS was used to identify the aroma compounds of five V. amurensis (‘Beiguohong’, ‘Beiguolan’, ‘Shuangfeng’, ‘Shuanghong’, ‘Shuangyou’) and three interspecific hybrids (‘Beibinghong’, ‘Xuelanhong’, ‘Zuoyouhong’) grapes in Zuojia and Ji’an. The grape berries were collected at harvest in 2020, 2021 and 2022.

Read More

Above and below–research challenges for the future of winegrape production

Grapevines interact with the climate (aboveground) and the soil (belowground), affecting the characteristics of winegrapes produced. These interactions are impacted by climate change, the erosion of biodiversity, and losses of soil organic matter (SOM).

Read More

Fractal analysis as a tool for delimiting guarantee of quality areas

The pioneering work of Mandelbrot in the 70’s for building the fractal theory lead rapidly to many interesting applications in different fields such as earth sciences and economy.

Read More

Influence of grapes origin and yeast strain on aroma profile of corvina and corvinone dry passito wines

Valpolicella is a wine region characterized by a wide use of the technology of grape drying for the production of two red passito wines, recognized as PDOs, “Recioto della Valpolicella” and the most famous “Amarone della Valpolicella”. Geographical origin of the grapes can influence wine composition by grape chemical composition yeast behaviour during fermentation. This study investigates the impact of different commercial yeast strains on aroma profiles of wines produced with withered grapes of different origins. In addition, the influence of spontaneous fermentation is also considered. METHODS: Experimental red wines were produced with a standard winemaking protocol with withered Corvina and Corvinone grapes obtained from two different geographical areas within the Valpolicella region. Fermentations were carried out with four different commercial yeasts plus a spontaneous fermentation. Wines were analysed by means of SPE- and SPME-GC-MS techniques and sensory analysis (sorting task).

Read More