LC-MS based metabolomics discriminates premium from varietal chilean Cabernet Sauvignon cv. Wines

Wine aroma analysis can be done by sensorial or instrumental analysis, the latter involving several me-thodologies based on olfactometric detection, electronic noses or gas chromatography. Gas Chromatography has been widely used for the study of the volatile composition of wines and depending on the detection system coupled to the chromatographic system, quantification and identification of individual compounds can be achieved.

Tannin and polysaccharide concentration and composition is important in defining the texture of red wines, but can vary due to factors such as cultivar, region, grape ripeness, viticultural practices and winemaking techniques. However, the concentration and composition of these macromolecules is dependent not only on grape tannin and polysaccharide concentration and composition, but also their extractability and, in the case of polysaccharides, their formation by yeast. Through studies into the influence of grape maturity, winemaking and sensory impacts of red grape polysaccharides, seed and skin tannins, recent research in our laboratory has shown that the processes involved in the extraction of these macromolecules from grapes and their retention in wine are very complex.

The French vine selection partners network is currently made up of 40 regional partners, grouped around IFV (French Institute for Vine and Wine) and INRAE (national research institute for agriculture and environment), whose missions are preservation, selection, and innovation of our varietal diversity. The originality of this device is based on a 3-level organisation: – varietal diversity preservation, with the world reference: the INRAE’s vine genetics resources centre of Vassal-Montpellier (Marseillan, France), the world’s largest ampelographic collection, which includes nearly 6 000 accessions of cultivated Vitis vinifera from 54 countries, as well as rootstocks, interspecific hybrids, wild vines (lambrusques) and wild American and Asian species.

Soil physical and chemical properties affect vine nutrition, as indicated by leaf and petiole nutrient content, in a way that may directly impact wine properties.

Many parameters affect the organoleptic characteristics of wine: internal parameters like the chemical composition or polyphenol content and external as for example storage conditions or the type of obturator. The aim of this study was to characterize sensorally the impacts of several type of obturator on a white wine: Chasselas. To determine the organoleptic characteristics of this wine, a quantitative descriptive analysis could be used. But rapid sensory methods were preferred in this project. Indeed these methods are an appropriate alternative to conventional descriptive methods for quickly assessing sensory product discrimination.