A chemometrics approach to characterise Albariño wines from New Zealand and Spain

Abstract

In New Zealand (NZ), wines made from the white grape variety Albariño, traditionally grown in Spain and Portugal, are becoming increasingly popular, with producers actively working to discover a grape variety with potential to diversify their portfolios beyond Sauvignon blanc. As yet, no scientific research has been published on NZ Albariño wines and their chemical or sensory properties. This project investigated chemical and sensorial differences between NZ Albariño wines from North Island (NI) and South Island (SI) regions, compared to Rías Baixas DO (RB) wines from Spain. Aroma compound quantitation for 24 wines, eight per region, was conducted using headspace solid phase microextraction gas chromatography mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS) and liquid chromatography-triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (LC-QQQ-MS). Sensory evaluation was performed via a trained panel using qualitative descriptive analysis (QDA). Chemical and sensory data were linked to regional differences and production methods using multivariate analyses. Albariño wines showed clear separation based on their sensory attributes, with one cluster of unoaked wines demonstrating high levels of fruity and floral attributes. Acetate esters and terpenoids were associated with this grouping. Wine chemical data and sensory attributes showed wide diversity within each region, with NI and RB Albariño wines showing broad overlap in their chemical and sensory profiles. SI Albariño appeared to be more distinct, characterised by high acidity and flavour intensity, and associated with chemical drivers including ethyl esters, fatty acids, and the varietal thiol 3-sulfanyl-1-hexanol (3SH). These results provide key insights into the influence of growing region, wine production methods, and chemical profiles on the sensory qualities of Albariño wines. This information will be very valuable in helping to characterise Albariño styles and demonstrates the viability of a new and burgeoning style from the SI of NZ.