Evaluation of Key Odorants in Sauvignon Blanc Wines Using Three Different Methodologies

Abstract

In this study three different approaches were employed to identify key odorants in Sauvignon blanc wines. First, the concentrations of the odorants were compared to their respective aroma detection thresholds. The resulting odor activity values (OAV) were transformed into a normalized and weighted measure that allows the aroma profiles of different wines to be compared and the contribution of a single aroma in a complex mixture to be evaluated. Based on their OAV, 3-mercaptohexanol and 3-mercaptohexyl acetate were the two most important aroma compounds in many Marlborough Sauvignon blanc wines. Due to limitations with the OAV approach, the study was extended to include aroma extract dilution analysis (AEDA), which revealed that β-damascenone, together with the varietal thiols, esters, and higher alcohols, are key odorants in Sauvignon blanc wines. The final approach undertaken was aroma reconstitution and omission tests using a deodorized wine base and the creation of a model Marlborough Sauvignon blanc. Single compounds and groups of compounds were omitted from the model to study their impact on the sensory properties of the model wine. Reconstitution and omission confirmed that varietal thiols, esters, terpenes, and β-damascenone are all important contributors to Sauvignon blanc aroma. The methoxypyrazines showed an important but relatively low impact in all three of the approaches undertaken in this study.

Identification of complex septic odorants in Huangpu River source water by combining the data from gas chromatography-olfactometry and comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography using retention indices

“…So it was clear that the above three odorants may have played an important role in constituting the septic odor (Benkwitz et al, 2012).…”

“…Therefore, additional studies including aroma extract dilution analysis (AEDA), reconstitution and omission tests, etc. (Benkwitz et al, 2012) are necessary to clarify the whole odor profile in the HP River. …”

Origins of Grape and Wine Aroma. Part 2. Chemical and Sensory Analysis

“…Recent examples include identification of sensory attributes that drive consumer and expert acceptance of Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon wines (Lattey et al 2010), assessment of the relationship between sensory and chemical data for oak-derived compounds found in French and Spanish wines (Prida and Chatonnet 2010), modeling of wine mouthfeel attributes using metabolomic data (Skogerson et al 2009), comparisons between vine vigor status with tannin and sensory data (Cortell et al 2008), assessment of the relationships between red wine textural characteristics and the chemical composition of Shiraz wines (Gawel et al 2007), comparisons of volatile components of sweet Fiano wines and sensory data (Genovese et al 2007), and comparisons between volatile compositional data and sensory data of Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, and Sauvignon blanc wines made in different styles and/or from different regions (Lee and Noble 2006, Robinson et al 2011a, Benkwitz et al 2012, Hjelmeland et al 2013, King et al 2014. Future work may also consider aspects of wine and food interactions, given that an understanding of how people enjoy pairing wine with food combinations is commonly discussed in the popular literature (MadrigalGalan and Heymann 2006).…”

“…As previously discussed, much wine sensory research has focused on correlating descriptive sensory and quantitative analytical data in order to successfully identify odor compounds that contribute to the overall aroma perception of wine (Guth 1997a, 1997b, López et al 1999, Kotseridis and Baumes 2000, Lee and Noble 2003, Escudero et al 2004, Campo et al 2005, Bailly et al 2006, Benkwitz et al 2012. The use of sensory evaluation to elucidate the impact of complex aroma compound interactions, including masking and enhancing effects, is likely to improve our understanding of the perceived aroma of wine (Atanasova et al 2005a).…”

Fast Electrochemical Detection of Non-Desirable Aging in Bottled White Wine

“…One of the most common methods is HPLC-mass spectrometry or gas cromatography that can be used normally after liquid extraction of different family compounds from the wine [11][12][13][14][15] . The complexity of the analysis requires multivariate statistical approaches, including canonical variate analysis 16 . Different aging factors such as temperature of storage, oxygen addition, movement, light exposure and others 14,15,17 can affect the aroma and flavor of wines.…”