Volatile and phenolic composition of monovarietal red wines of Valpolicella appellations

The volatile and phenolic compositions of nine monovarietal wines from the following grape varieties allowed in the Valpolicella appellation were investigated: Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella, Molinara, Oseleta, Raboso, Croatina, Sangiovese and Cabernet-Sauvignon. Different clones were also investigated for Corvina and Corvinone, the two main varieties of the appellation. All grapes were harvested from a single experimental block and vinified following a standard protocol. Wines from different clones of Corvina were characterised by higher monoterpenols content, including linalool, α-terpineol and geraniol, as well as by a peculiar pattern of C6-alcohols. Relatively high levels of monoterpene alcohols were also found in Corvinone wines, while Oseleta showed the highest concentration of terpinen-4-ol and cis- and trans- isomers of linalool oxide. The evaluation of the wine aroma profile by means of different aromatic series indicated higher values for the “floral”, “fruity” and “ripe fruit” series for Corvina and Corvinone wines. Major differences in phenolic composition were found between the different varieties of wine. The total phenolics and total tannins values for Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella and Molinara wines indicated relatively low phenolic content in comparison with Croatina, Oseleta, Cabernet-Sauvignon. There were also major differences in the content of individual phenolic compounds, in particular anthocyanins, between the monovarietal wines.

In-Depth Aroma and Sensory Profiling of Unfamiliar Table-Grape Cultivars

We present an in-depth analysis of aroma profiles and sensory attributes, employing solid-phase microextraction gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (SPME-GC-MS) to identify the key compounds driving consumer preference in 19 unfamiliar cultivars. In combination with popular cultivars, we identified a total of 100 compounds in all table grapes, of which 26 key volatiles were correlated with consumer liking. Based on this relationship, five aroma combinations (AC) were formulated, wherein 33 compounds contributed to aroma intensity, and thus, were viewed as active volatiles. The fruity, floral, and sweet aromas were further divided into secondary aromatic series, of which the apple, citrus, orange, rose, geranium, violet, and honey aromas constituted the predominant series in unfamiliar cultivars. Xiangyue and Heikuixiang emerged as the preferred table grapes according to our analysis. By comparison, the popular cultivars showed relatively fewer volatiles, but their contents were much greater than the large number of volatiles identified in the unfamiliar cultivars.

Chemical and sensory characterization of the aroma of ‘Chardonnay’ musts fermented with different nitrogen sources

This work studies the influence of two different nitrogen sources added to the must on aromatic series and sensory profile of ‘Chardonnay’ wines. Volatile compounds were classified into six odorant series and the total intensities for every aromatic series were calculated as sum of the OAV of each one of the compounds assigned to these series. Sensory profile was defined by quantitative descriptive sensory analysis. The fruity, floral and sweet series are the ones most strongly contributing to the aroma of ‘Chardonnay’ wines, independently of nitrogen source added. In general, the fortification of must with nitrogen source enhances the aroma intensity of wines, especially fruity and floral notes. Samples with organic nutrient presented greater aromatic intensity and more floral aromas than samples with inorganic nutrient. According to the results, the fortification of must with organic nitrogen enhanced the aromatic complexity of wines.