Descriptive Analysis for Wine Quality Experts Determining Appellations by Chardonnay Wine Aroma

Abstract

Since producer based sensory analysis of wine appellations remains in widespread use worldwide by wineries, modern sensory methods were developed for industry judge panels. U.S. appellations were studied using modern sensory analysis processes which accommodated the industry professionals’ biases for perceived quality and provincial sensory language. A panel was assembled comprised of wine industry quality experts (n = 26). First, judge quality biases were determined using a multi‐wine preference‐testing method (n = 48) in which judges freely record their aroma terms. Subsequently QDA° type strategies were used to create the sensory language from analysis of 1100 wine X judge interactions in which free use of terms was used to describe the wines. Next, an experiment analyzed the wines using a new descriptive analysis scorecard which contained the ten most frequently used terms; and scores were computed from the number of times terms were selected by the judges (frequency of use). Groups of sixteen wines, for which the judges had no large negative bias, from the Carneras American Viticutural Areas (AVA), were compared to those from California wine growing regions (Central Coast, Napa and Sonoma). Replicate trials showed Carneras AVA and Central Coast wines clustered in the principal components (PCA) analysis of the sensory data. The detection of regional typicalness by professionals: (1) was linked to their perceived quality bias, (2) was easily detected in high quality wines linked to grape attributes more than to winemaking attributes, and (3) was not possible when judges had determined that perceived wine quality was low. ANOVA and polar spider plot analysis of the clusters indicated that the important aroma attributes of Carneros wines included Citrus and Green Apples/Pears. Lastly, the sensory analysis data was compared to chemical analysis of terpenes for several wines (n = 22). Chardonnay terpene (linalool) concentrations were highly correlated (p < 0.01) with the attribute scores for Citrus which was important in the PCA analysis of the sensory data. These sensory processes offer a descriptive analysis process that accommodates the wine industry professional. The method also offers several advantages over flavor profiling methods including the reduction of the potentially confounding problems of “quality” and “standard terms” among industry professionals as well as speed and correlation with chemical analyses.

Taste Properties of Potassium Chloride Alone and in Mixtures with Sodium Chloride Using a Check‐All‐That‐Apply Method

“…Terms gathered in focus groups were placed on a ballot in a check‐all‐that‐apply (CATA) format, following the method of Hooge (2008). CATA methods, sometimes called “citation frequency,” have enjoyed some popularity recently in the characterization of foods and complex systems such as wine, chocolate milk desserts, and vanilla ice cream (McCloskey and others 1996; Le Fur and others 2003; Campo and others 2008, 2010; Cowden and others 2009; Ares and others 2010; Dooley and others 2010). CATA data have shown surprising parallels to traditional intensity ratings in terms of providing similar information, similar perceptual mapping and similar preference mapping results.…”

Quick and dirty but still pretty good: a review of new descriptive methods in food science

“…In this variant, assessors receive also a list of attributes, and they are asked to choose the K attributes that are dominant or that describe best a product. In the food sensory domain, this method had been mostly applied to describe aroma of complex products such as wines (McCloskey et al, 1996;Chollet & Valentin, 2000) or beers (Chollet & Valentin, 2001). The main difference between CATA and pick-K attributes is that when K is small, the pick-K attributes method highlights the main sensory characteristics of the products, whereas the CATA method provides a more complete description.…”

Sensory Profile of Portuguese White Wines Using Long‐Term Memory: A Novel Nationwide Approach

“…In France, the concepts of the cru and terroir describe tasters’ detection of regionality of wine (McCloskey et al . ). The perception of typicality may differentially affect purchase decisions (Jackson ).…”

“…To differentiate a single varietal (Chardonnay) along 4 Californian Appellations, 48 wines were assessed (McCloskey et al . ).…”

“…A wine is typical if some of its own characteristics can be identified and if it is recognizable as belonging to a regional or cultural type that is distinctive from others. In France, the concepts of the cru and terroir describe tasters' detection of regionality of wine (McCloskey et al 1996). The perception of typicality may differentially affect purchase decisions (Jackson 2014).…”