Protection of volatile esters and terpenes during storage of a white wine and a model wine medium by a mixture of N-acetyl-cysteine and caffeic acid

A mixture of N-acetyl-cysteine + caffeic acid, at 10 + 30 mg/L respectively, was tested as inhibitor of the decrease of volatile esters and terpenes during storage of Debina white wine. Moreover, the inhibition of the decrease of isoamyl acetate, ethyl hexanoate and linalool in a model wine medium by the mixture, at 1.25 + 3.75 to 10 + 30 mg/L, was tested. Several volatiles, such as isoamyl acetate, ethyl hexanoate, ethyl octanoate, ethyl decanoate and linalool, decreased during wine storage. The mixture of N-acetyl-cysteine + caffeic acid restricted the decrease of these volatiles to a large extent. In the model medium, the mixture inhibited the decrease of the three volatiles in a dose dependent manner. It was active at any concentration tested. The present results indicate that mixture of N-acetyl-cysteine + caffeic acid, containing each compound at low concentration, may be taken into account as an effective inhibitor of the disappearance of volatile aroma in wines.     

Inhibition of the decrease of volatile esters and terpenes during storage of a white wine and a model wine medium by caffeic acid and gallic acid

Caffeic acid and gallic acid were tested as inhibitors of the decrease of volatile acetate esters, ethyl esters and terpenes during storage of a white wine and a model wine medium. Wine and model wine samples were analysed by SPME along with GC–MS. At t = 0, no effect on the concentration of any volatile was observed as a result of adding each phenolic acid in any of wine or model wine samples. Many esters, such as isoamyl acetate, ethyl hexanoate, ethyl octanoate, ethyl decanoate, and linalool decreased during storage of Debina-white wine for up to 20 months. Caffeic acid and gallic acid at 60 mg/L inhibited the decrease of these volatiles. Isoamyl acetate, ethyl hexanoate and linalool decreased during storage of the model wine medium containing 0, 20 or 40 mg/L SO₂. Caffeic acid and gallic acid inhibited the decrease of three volatiles; SO₂ inhibited the decrease of isoamyl acetate and ethyl hexanoate. In some cases, SO₂ increased the inhibitory action of two phenolic acids. The inhibitory action of caffeic acid and gallic acid was dose dependent in the range 0–60 mg/L. Caffeic acid was active at 7.5 mg/L while gallic acid at 15 mg/L.Present results indicate that caffeic acid and gallic acid may be taken into account as potent inhibitors of the disappearance of aromatic volatile esters and terpenes in wines at concentrations similar to those existing in wines.     

Yeast and bacterial modulation of wine aroma and flavour

Wine is a highly complex mixture of compounds which largely define its appearance, aroma, flavour and mouth‐feel properties. The compounds responsible for those attributes have been derived in turn from three major sources, viz. grapes, microbes and, when used, wood (most commonly, oak). The grape‐derived compounds provide varietal distinction in addition to giving wine its basic structure. Thus, the floral monoterpenes largely define Muscat‐related wines and the fruity volatile thiols define Sauvignon‐related wines; the grape acids and tannins, together with alcohol, contribute the palate and mouth‐feel properties. Yeast fermentation of sugars not only produces ethanol and carbon dioxide but a range of minor but sensorially important volatile metabolites which gives wine its vinous character. These volatile metabolites, which comprise esters, higher alcohols, carbonyls, volatile fatty acids and sulfur compounds, are derived from sugar and amino acid metabolism. The malolactic fermentation, when needed, not only provides deacidification, but can enhance the flavour profile. The aroma and flavour profile of wine is the result of an almost infinite number of variations in production, whether in the vineyard or the winery. In addition to the obvious, such as the grapes selected, the winemaker employs a variety of techniques and tools to produce wines with specific flavour profiles. One of these tools is the choice of microorganism to conduct fermentation. During alcoholic fermentation, the wine yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae brings forth the major changes between grape must and wine: modifying aroma, flavour, mouth‐feel, colour and chemical complexity. The wine bacterium Oenococcus oeni adds its contribution to wines that undergo malolactic fermentation. Thus flavour‐active yeasts and bacterial strains can produce desirable sensory results by helping to extract compounds from the solids in grape must, by modifying grape‐derived molecules and by producing flavour‐active metabolites. This article reviews some of the most important flavour compounds found in wine, and their microbiological origin.     

Characterisation and classification of Spanish Verdejo young white wines by volatile and sensory analysis with chemometric tools

BACKGROUND: Nowadays, Verdejo young wine is exported to many countries all over the world, so it is considered one of the most important Spanish white young wines. In spite of its commercial and historical repercussions, little information is available about the aromatic profile of Spanish Verdejo young wine. The aim of our study was to give further information about this aspect, focusing our research on the characterisation and classification of Verdejo young wine. RESULTS: Aroma of the Verdejo, Sauvignon blanc and barrel‐fermented and barrel‐aged Verdejo wines—all from the D.O. Rueda, Spain—was evaluated using gas chromatographic and sensory analyses. A good relationship was found between the chemical composition and some of the sensory attributes of the wines. The wine samples were correctly classified according to their grape variety and oenological practice showing a 100% of correct classification using chemical or sensory data. CONCLUSIONS: Characterisation and differentiation of Spanish Verdejo wines was achieved, for the first time, showing different groups of Verdejo wines with similar volatile composition and sensory profiles. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry     

谷胱甘肽添加对贮藏猕猴桃酒香气成分的影响

在以徐香猕猴桃为原料酿造得到的猕猴桃酒中,分别添加25 mg/L和50 mg/L的谷胱甘肽,以不添加谷胱甘肽的猕猴桃酒为对照组,4℃条件下密封贮藏6个月后取样测定各样品的香气成分,分析贮藏后猕猴桃酒香气成分的变化以及添加谷胱甘肽对贮藏猕猴桃酒香气成分的影响。采用顶空固相微萃取（SPME）法进行猕猴桃酒香气成分提取,通过气相色谱-质谱（GC-MS）进行猕猴桃酒香气成分分析。结果表明:从猕猴桃酒中共检测出42种香气成分,主要包括醇类、酯类、酸类以及萜烯类和C₁₃-降异戊二烯衍生物。贮藏6个月后猕猴桃各类香气总量均产生逸散,然而与贮藏后的对照组样品相比,谷胱甘肽添加处理的猕猴桃酒特征香气保持效果更好,香气物质总量更高,25 mg/L和50 mg/L的谷胱甘肽的添加分别可以降低6.68%和46.24%的香气损失,说明谷胱甘肽在猕猴桃酒贮藏阶段的添加更有益于猕猴桃酒的贮藏。      

Browning susceptibility of white wine and antioxidant effect of glutathione

Glutathione (GSH) content and other physicochemical parameters of thirteen white wines originated from Lebanon were studied in relation to their browning capacity; the impact of pH, total sulphur dioxide and total phenol content into the browning susceptibility of the wine was shown. The effect of GSH, added to the wine at different concentrations, on the total phenol content was studied at 55 °C during 8 days of accelerated oxidation. GSH addition resulted in significantly higher total phenol content only on day 0 of the test. GSH was shown to be readily oxidised in these conditions: even on day 0, there was a considerable reduction (up to 73%) in GSH level. Moreover, after 8 days of oxidation, GSH concentration in all studied samples ranged from 4.79 to 5.11 mg L^?1; these values were close to GSH value in control wine (without added GSH) on day 0. On the contrary, GSH appeared to contribute significantly to the wine stability, which might have been via the increase of reduced phenolic pool. GSH addition appeared to have an improving effect on the organoleptic qualities of the wine.     

Hydrolysis and formation of volatile esters in New Zealand Sauvignon blanc wine

The evolution of the varietal thiol 3-mercaptohexanol acetate (3MHA) and other key aroma compounds has been monitored in New Zealand Sauvignon blanc wines stored for 1 year at three different temperatures (5, 10 and 18 °C). The main processes that occurred in the Sauvignon blanc wines during bottle ageing were hydrolysis of 3MHA and other acetate esters, hydrolysis of ethyl esters of fatty acids, and the formation of ethyl esters of branched acids. The kinetic parameters of ester hydrolysis, including reaction rate constants and activation energies, were determined, which allow prediction of future wine composition based upon storage temperature and time. It was found that 3MHA had the highest reaction rate constant, meaning that this compound is the most unstable, particularly at higher storage temperatures, and that it disappeared very fast during wine storage.     

Effect of using bentonite during fermentation on protein stabilisation and sensory properties of white wine

The bentonite use to remove proteins from white wine is a widespread practice that prevents protein haze formation after bottling. However, an excess of bentonite can have negative effects on both the aromatic profile of young white wines and the quality of the foam of sparkling wines. Therefore, the optimisation of bentonite amount to be used and the moment of its application during winemaking to minimise wine quality losses are of great interest for winemakers. This paper analyses how applying an equal bentonite dose at different stages (must clarification; beginning, middle and end of fermentation) on two scales (industrial and pilot) affects the protein content and stability, physical–chemical characteristics, aromatic profile and foam quality of the obtained wines. No important differences in the oenological parameters were observed between industrial and pilot scales, whereas the scale of the experimental treatments affected protein stability, aroma composition and foam quality of the wines.     

本土酿酒酵母的筛选及其低醇葡萄酒特性研究

以天津宝坻产区的三种葡萄为原料,分别从自然发酵的葡萄汁中筛选出340株酵母菌,经生理生化,产酸、酯、尿酶、H2S,发酵能力测定及26SrRNA测序,确定4株为酿酒酵母,用于贵人香低醇白葡萄酒的酿造。以商用酵母为对照,定量分析了不同酵母所酿酒中的香气成分、氨基甲酸乙酯含量,并进行了理化指标和感官测定,发现酵母C508和G611酿造的低醇酒具有更独特的香气特点,氨基甲酸乙酯的含量较低,微生物稳定性较高,更适合低醇酒的酿造。     

Investigation on the role played by fermentation esters in the aroma of young Spanish wines by multivariate analysis

The role played by ethyl esters of fatty acids and by acetates of higher alcohols on the aroma of young wines from neutral grape varieties has been investigated. The statistical methods used have been stepwise linear regression and principal components analysis. Very significant conclusions have been reached. The role played by these compounds depends on the type of wine. In white wines their main role is in the perception of tree fruit and tropical fruit notes. It has been demonstrated that the former notes are linked to ethyl esters, while the latter are linked mainly to acetates of higher alcohols. In rose wines the intensity of tree fruit aroma was correlated with ester content, however no clear conclusion was reached about the role of various compounds on the perception of quality. Finally, in red wines these compounds do not determine the intensity of fruit aromas, and they only play a modulating role on aroma quality. This indicates that red grape varieties must have other aroma compounds which are responsible for the fruity characteristics of wines.     

The effect of increased yeast alcohol acetyltransferase and esterase activity on the flavour profiles of wine and distillates

The fruity odours of wine are largely derived from the synthesis of esters and higher alcohols during yeast fermentation. The ATF1- and ATF2-encoded alcohol acetyltransferases of S. cerevisiae are responsible for the synthesis of ethyl acetate and isoamyl acetate esters, while the EHT1-encoded ethanol hexanoyl transferase is responsible for synthesizing ethyl caproate. However, esters such as these might be degraded by the IAH1-encoded esterase. The objectives of this study were: (a) to overexpress the genes encoding ester-synthesizing and ester-degrading enzymes in wine yeast; (b) to prepare Colombard table wines and base wines for distillation using these modified strains; and (c) to analyse and compare the ester concentrations and aroma profiles of these wines and distillates. The overexpression of ATF1 significantly increased the concentrations of ethyl acetate, isoamyl acetate, 2-phenylethyl acetate and ethyl caproate, while the overexpression of ATF2 affected the concentrations of ethyl acetate and isoamyl acetate to a lesser degree. The overexpression of IAH1 resulted in a significant decrease in ethyl acetate, isoamyl acetate, hexyl acetate and 2-phenylethyl acetate. The overexpression of EHT1 resulted in a marked increase in ethyl caproate, ethyl caprylate and ethyl caprate. The flavour profile of the wines and distillates prepared using the modified strains were also significantly altered as indicated by formal sensory analysis. This study offers prospects for the development of wine yeast starter strains with optimized ester-producing capability that could assist winemakers in their effort to consistently produce wine and distillates such as brandy to definable flavour specifications and styles.     

Loss and formation of malodorous volatile sulfhydryl compounds during wine storage

Volatile sulfur compounds (VSCs), particularly low molecular weight sulfhydryls like hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) and methanethiol (MeSH), are often observed in wines with sulfurous off-aromas. Recent work has shown both H₂S and MeSH can increase up to a few µM (> 40 µg/L) during anoxic storage, but the identity of the latent sources of these sulfhydryls is still disputed. This review critically evaluates the latent precursors and pathways likely to be responsible for the loss and formation of these sulfhydryls during wine storage based on the existing enology literature as well as studies from food chemistry, geochemistry, biochemistry, and synthetic chemistry. We propose that three precursor classes have sufficient concentration and metastability to serve as latent sulfhydryl precursors in wine: 1) transition metal-sulfhydryl complexes, particularly those formed following Cu(II) addition, which are released under anoxic conditions through an unknown mechanism; 2) asymmetric disulfides, polysulfanes, and (di)organopolysulfanes formed through transition-metal mediated oxidation (e.g., Cu(II)) of sulfhydryls or pesticide degradation, and released through sulfitolysis, metal-catalyzed thiol-disulfide exchange or related reactions; 3) S-alkylthioacetates, primarily formed during fermentation, and releasable hydrolytically. Some evidence also exists for S-amino acids serving as precursors. Based on these findings, we propose a “decision tree” approach to choosing appropriate strategies for managing wines with sulfurous off-aromas.     

Effect of saliva esterase activity on ester solutions and possible consequences for the in‐mouth ester release during wine intake

The aim of this study was to investigate the role of saliva esterase activity on carboxylic esters typically associated with pleasant and fruity aromas in wine. For this, ex vivo experiments using the same fresh and inactivated (without enzymatic activity) human saliva with a mixture of carboxylic esters with different aliphatic chain length (ethyl butanoate, ethyl pentanoate, ethyl hexanoate, ethyl octanoate, ethyl decanoate, and isoamyl acetate) were prepared. Liquid–liquid extraction with dichloromethane and GC–MS analysis were applied to the saliva systems in order to determine the reduction in ester content and the formation of their corresponding metabolic products (carboxylic acids) in the saliva systems before and after incubation at 37C. In addition, to check if there was a relationship between the susceptibility of esters to saliva hydrolysis and the amount of in‐mouth ester release during wine intake, the remaining oral amount of each ester was determined by comparing the intraoral amount immediately after spitting out the wine and 4 min later. Ex vivo experiments showed ester degradation by saliva esterase enzymes mainly acted on long chain esters (ethyl octanoate and ethyl decanoate), which gave rise to the formation of their corresponding carboxylic acids. Nonetheless, in spite of their higher susceptibility to saliva enzymes, in vivo experiments showed that long chain carboxylic esters remained in the oral cavity long after swallowing. This confirmed that ester hydrophobicity is closely related to the in‐mouth temporal release of these odorants and, therefore, behind wine aroma persistence. In wines, esters represent a group of aromatic compounds of great interest since they are linked to pleasant fruity aroma nuances. Today wine consumers are demanding fresh and long persistent fruity aromatic wines. The present research contributes to better understanding the relationship between ester content in the wine and oral aroma release experienced during wine tasting, considering the changes in these compounds during oral processing. This is a necessary step when trying to unravel the factors involved in wine aroma perception and in consumer preferences, and it represents a necessary knowledge in promoting winemaking practices (e.g., the use of selected microorganisms) for improving the type and amount of these aroma compounds in the wine.     

Strategies for the identification and sensory evaluation of volatile constituents in wine

Wine aroma, which stems from complex perceptual and cognitive processes, is initially driven by a multitude of naturally occurring volatile constituents. Its interpretation depends on the characterization of relevant volatile constituents. With large numbers of volatile constituents already identified, the search for unknown volatiles in wine has become increasingly challenging. However, the opportunities to discover unknown volatile compounds contributing to the wine volatilome are still of great interest, as demonstrated by the recent identification of highly odorous trace (µg/L) to ultra-trace (ng/L) volatile compounds in wine. This review provides an overview of both existing strategies and future directions on identifying unknown volatile constituents in wine. Chemical identification, including sample extraction, fractionation, gas chromatography, olfactometry, and mass spectrometry, is comprehensively covered. In addition, this review also focuses on aspects related to sensory-guided wine selection, authentic reference standards, artifacts and interferences, and the evaluation of the sensory significance of discovered wine volatiles. Powerful key volatile odorants present at ultra-trace levels, for which these analytical approaches have been successfully applied, are discussed. Research areas where novel wine volatiles are likely to be identified are pointed out. The importance of perceptual interaction phenomena is emphasized. Finally, future avenues for the exploration of yet unknown wine volatiles by coupling analytical approaches and sensory evaluation are suggested.     

Effect of enzymatic aroma release on the volatile compounds of white wines presenting different aroma potentials

Wines from Maria Gomes (Fernão Pires) and Bical varieties were treated with an enzymatic preparation, Lallzyme de Lalvin, with β‐glucosidase, pectinase, arabinosidase and rhamnosidase activity. The reference and enzyme‐treated wines were submitted to a process of continuous liquid–liquid extraction with dichloromethane and analysed by GC‐MS. The volatile contents of the wines were 199 and 188 mg l^?1, respectively, for Maria Gomes and Bical. Both varieties contained aliphatic and aromatic alcohols, terpenoids, esters, aliphatic acids and lactones. Enzymatically treated wines showed an increase of 9% in the total amount of volatile compounds of Maria Gomes, due, mainly, to the increase of geraniol (67%), terpendiols (96%), phenols and aromatic alcohols (26%) and esters (32%). Some of them were within their perception limits and may have a contribution to the floral and fruity notes. Conversely, no significant modifications were introduced by enzymatic treatment in the total amount of volatile compounds of Bical wine. The presence of aromatic alcohols in significant amounts, which may represent an interesting characteristic in Bical wines, was not increased by the treatment used. This study with two white varieties grown in the same Appellation shows that the effectiveness of aroma release by enzymatic treatment, using a broad range of enzymatic activities, is closely dependent on the varietal aroma potential, knowledge of which is a key determinant for full exploitation of wine qualities. Copyright © 2004 Society of Chemical Industry