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Honey is a natural product with very diverse sensory attributes that are influenced by the flower source, the bee species, the geographic origin, the treatments and conditions during storage. This study aimed at describing 50 honeys from diverse flower sources in different continents and islands, stored under various conditions. Many articles have been published on the sensory characterization of honeys, thus a common list of attributes has been established, but it appeared to be poorly suited to describe a large number of honeys from around the world. This is why the novel and rapid sensory evaluation method, the Pivot Profile©, was tested, with the participation of 15 panelists during five sessions. The first objective was to obtain a sensory description of the 50 honeys that were tested. From 1152 distinct terms, a list of 29 sensory attributes was established and the attributes divided into three categories: color/texture (8 terms), aroma (16 terms), and taste (5 terms). At first, the honeys have been ranked according to their level of crystallization from fluid/liquid to viscous/hard. Then color was the second assessment factor of the variability. In terms of aroma, honeys from Africa were characterized by smoky, resin, caramel and dried fruit as opposed to floral and fruity, mainly for honeys from South America and Europe. Finally, the honeys were ranked according to their sweetness. The second objective of this study was to test the new sensory method, called Pivot Profile© which is used to describe a large number of products with interpretable results.

Introduction: Although the assessment of red wine quality relies primarily on a sensory description of tannins, it may be usefully completed by some knowledge of the physicochemical properties of these tannins. The present study has a double aim: (1) to gain insight into the sensory properties of subpopulations of proanthocyanidic tannins of different molecular sizes (obtained through several ultrafiltration steps), as well as into the kinetics of the haze formed by these fractions when reacted with polyvinylpyrrolidone (as measured by nephelometry) and (2) to determine whether a correlation exists between the sensory and the nephelometric data. Materials and Methods To this end, two wines from different grape varieties were sequentially ultrafiltered to provide three tannic fractions which differed by the range of their polymerization degrees. Then, these fractions were added (individually or in combination) into their native wine matrix (previously deprived of all its polyphenols via charcoal treatment) according to a specific experimental design. These reconstituted wines were characterized by nephelometry and by a static (quantitative descriptive analysis) and a dynamic (temporal dominance of sensations) sensory method. Results and Discussion: Wines containing the largest size tannins (highest range of polymerization degrees) were perceived as more astringent and cause drying in the mouth and after spitting. Concerning the temporality of perception, wines containing the fraction with the largest tannins provide long inmouth drying, and the astringency and in-mouth drying perceptions were the most persistent features. Conclusion: Finally, a highly positive correlation between nephelometric and quantitative descriptive analysis data was shown

As more and more consumers around the world integrate the choice of healthier, more ethical and eco-friendlier food and beverages in their lifestyle, the wine industry is pushed to develop more sustainable production, distribution and consumption solutions. In search of wine preservation improvements that would have both economic and ecological positive impacts, the wine industry has been investing resources in research, development and innovation regarding alternative packaging and distribution solutions for years. The keg Ecofass® is made of recyclable plastic material, high density polyethylene (HDPE) in which there is an aluminium pouch containing the liquid food. It was a question of knowing if this type of container was adapted to the conservation of the wines during several months. The method of storage and distribution has also been studied to know the impact on the oenological and sensory quality of the wines. Likewise, the nature of the pressure gas (nitrogen or compressed air) has also been tested. The contents of free and total SO2 and CO2 were monitored, and sensory analysis tests were carried out. Nevertheless, at the sensory level, the judges were able to note significant differences between the wines.