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…

Climate change impacts on European grapevine yields through a dynamic crop modelling approach

Climate has a predominant role on growth and development of grapevines. Therefore, climate change represents an important challenge to the winemaking sector.

Read More

Anthocyanin profile is differentially affected by high temperature, elevated CO2 and water deficit in Tempranillo (Vitis vinifera L.) clones

Anthocyanin potential of grape berries is an important quality factor in wine production. Anthocyanin concentration and profile differ among varieties but it also depends on the environmental conditions, which are expected to be greatly modified by climate change in the future. These modifications may significantly modify the biochemical composition of berries at harvest, and thus wine typicity. Among the diverse approaches proposed to reduce the potential negative effects that climate change may have on grape quality, genetic diversity among clones can represent a source of potential candidates to select better adapted plant material for future climatic conditions. The effects of individual and combined factors associated to climate change (increase of temperature, rise of air CO2 concentration and water deficit) on the anthocyanin profile of different clones of Tempranillo that differ in the length of their reproductive cycle were studied. The aim was to highlight those clones more adapted to maintain specific Tempranillo typicity in the future. Fruit-bearing cuttings were grown in controlled conditions under two temperatures (ambient temperature versus ambient temperature + 4ºC), two CO2 levels (400 ppm versus 700 ppm) and two water regimes (well-watered versus water deficit), both in combination or independently, in order to simulate future climate change scenarios. Elevated temperature increased anthocyanin acylation, whereas elevated CO2 and water deficit favoured the accumulation of malvidin derivatives, as well as the acylation and tri-hydroxylation level of anthocyanins. Although the changes in anthocyanin profile observed followed a common pattern among clones, such impact of environmental conditions was especially noticeable in one of the most widely distributed Tempranillo clones, the accession RJ43.

Read More

Similarities among wine aromas and landscape scents around the vineyard in five Mediterranean sites

We compared 68 aroma compounds in wines from 5 vineyards in order to see similarities among the wine aroma and the scent of some of the main native plants from the respective vineyards.

Read More

A browser application for comprehensive 3-dimensional LC × LC × IM – MS data analysis to study grape and wine polyphenols

The analysis of structurally diverse proanthocyanidins in grapes and wine is challenging. Comprehensive two-dimensional liquid chromatography (LC×LC) and ion mobility spectrometry-mass spectrometry (IMS-MS) are increasingly used to address the challenges associated with the analysis of highly complex samples such as wine and grapes

Read More

Nitrogen metabolism in Kluyveromyces marxianus and Saccharomyces cerevisiae: towards a better understanding of fermentation aroma production

During wine alcoholic fermentation, yeasts produce volatile aroma compounds from sugar and nitrogen metabolism. Some of the metabolic pathways leading to these compounds have been known for more than a century.

Read More