Pairing red wine and closure: A multimodal decoding of ortho and retronasal perception

Abstract

The sensory expression of wine emerges from dynamic interactions between volatile and non-volatile compounds and is perceived through two distinct yet complementary olfactory pathways: via ortho and retronasal. Orthonasal perception arises from the direct inhalation of volatile compounds through the nasal cavity, whereas retronasal perception occurs during consumption and results from the release of aroma in the oral cavity, modulated by physicochemical interactions with saliva and oral surfaces (1,2). Although closures are known to affect oxidative-reductive balance during bottle storage, their impact on ortho and retronasal perceptions remains largely unexplored. Thus, in this study, a red wine from Burgenland region (Austria) sealed with natural cork, microagglomerated cork, and screw cap was evaluated as case-study, after 5 and 30 months of storage. Various techniques were employed to investigate changes during bottle storage, including the determination of volatile components by GC×GC-ToFMS, phenolic profile by UHPLC-DAD-MSn, general physicochemical parameters, and sensorial analysis performed by a trained panel. Also, oxygen transfer rate of cork stoppers was evaluated. Chemometric tools were used to explore the data sets, select relevant features, and decoding of ortho and retronasal aroma perception. Wines sealed with natural cork exhibited a more balanced oxidative–reductive profile and higher aromatic complexity, reflected by the relative contribution of ethyl esters, norisoprenoids, Strecker aldehydes, and terpenic oxides. In contrast, wines sealed with a screw cap showed a tendency toward reductive characteristics, associated with a higher content of sulphur compounds. The Friedman test revealed significant differences only for longer storage time and in retronasal perception, with wines bottled with screw cap tending toward a reductive profile. This reflects the distinct nature of the two sensory pathways: retronasal perception is more sensitive to closure-induced changes during oral processing, whereas orthonasal perception largely reflects the headspace volatile composition. Data fusion analysis emphasized the contribution of closures to shaping long-term sensory expression and revealed correlative networks linking volatile and non-volatile compounds. Additionally, this study emphasizes that differences modulated by the wine–closure pairing can serve as an oenological tool in the construction of a wine’s identity.

References

1. Lyu, J.; Chen, S.; Nie, Y.; Xu, Y.; Tang, K. (2021). Aroma Release during Wine Consumption: Factors and Analytical Approaches. Food Chem., 346, 128957.

2. Chigwedere, C.M.; Wanasundara, J.P.D.; Shand, P.J. (2022). Sensory Descriptors for Pulses and Pulse‑derived Ingredients: Toward a Standardized Lexicon and Sensory Wheel. Compr. Rev. Food Sci. Food Saf., 21, 999–1023.