The contribution of dimethyl sulfide (DMS) to the aroma of Syrah and Grenache Noir wines from the Rhone Valley of France was investigated by sensory analysis, and its levels in these wines were measured. The potential DMS in the corresponding grapes and wines, susceptible to release during wine aging, was evaluated. Free DMS and potential DMS assessed by a heat-alkaline treatment were measured in grape juices and wines by SPME-GC-MS using methods previously reported and slightly modified. A relationship between potential DMS from grapes and the total DMS levels in wine was demonstrated. Furthermore, a linear regression between the ratio of free DMS levels to these total DMS levels in wine and time of storage was found. Free and potential DMS levels in grapes and wines depended on grape variety, vintage, and vine location. DMS imparted a noticeable and complex contribution to the aroma of the wines investigated, depending on the mode of sensory perception used, either before or after glass swirling. It significantly enhanced the fruity notes of the wines, and additional truffle and black olive notes.
The origin of dimethyl sulfide (DMS) produced during wine aging was examined through different assays. The production of DMS during the model aging of a wine and the concomitant decrease of residual potential DMS (PDMS), as DMS released by heat-alkaline treatment in 0.5 M sodium hydroxide at 100 degrees C for 1 h, were demonstrated. Then, dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), methionine sulfoxide (MSO), S-methylmethionine (SMM), and dimethylsulfonium propanoic acid (DMSPA), reported previously as possible DMS precursors, were investigated for their ability to be DMS precursors in wine in the conditions of this model aging and of the heat-alkaline treatment. The results showed that DMSO, MSO, and DMSPA could hardly be DMS precursors in the conditions used, whereas SMM appeared to be a good candidate. Finally, the use of [(2)H(6)]-DMSPA as an internal standard for PDMS determination was proposed, because it provided better reproducibility than [(2)H(6)]-DMS used as an external standard.
<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Aims</strong>: Grenache noir and Syrah are the predominant grape varieties in the French Rhone valley vineyard. This study aimed at identifying the odorants generated from glycoconjugates extracted from wines made with Grenache noir and Syrah.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Methods and results</strong>: Synthetic model wines enriched with glycoconjugates, treated or not with enzymes, were stored at 45 °C for 3 weeks, or at 13 °C for 18 months. Aromas generated were extracted and analyzed by GC-Olfactometry (only samples from accelerated aging) and were further quantitatively determined by GC-MS. Analysis of the extracts allowed to identify 49 odorants, including 27 that could be aglycons, or related compounds, of glycoconjugates from the grapes. In addition, the active compounds were quantified in similar experiments led in conditions of natural aging for 18 months.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Conclusion</strong>: The two varieties, Grenache noir and Syrah, were distinguishable by 14 odorant zones. Multivariate analyses (PCA) performed with the amounts of aroma compounds formed during both model and natural aging confirmed the effect of the glycosidase treatment on the acceleration of the aroma compounds formation and on the increase of the varietal differences of the wines.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Significance and impact of study</strong>: GC-Olfactometry coupled with GCMS were good techniques to indentify and apreciate the odorants generated from glycoconjugates in the wines of Syrah and Grenache Noir, but in the context of a blend of odors, these techniques showed their limits and did not permit to determine the real impact of a molecule in the global aroma of the wine perceived by the taster. Other methods as additive techniques should be used to complete this study.</p>
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