Effect of Fermentation Temperature Gradient and Skin Contact on Tropical Fruit Perception in Chardonnay Wine
Chase Lucas, Amanda Dupas De Matos, Angelica
Iobbi, and Elizabeth Tomasino*
*Oregon State University, 100 Wiegand Hall, Corvallis, OR,
97331
(elizabeth.tomasino@oregonstate.edu)
Wines with tropical fruit aromas are increasingly desirable to consumers. With so many wine styles available, it is important to understand the compounds that cause fruity aromas in wine. Previous work using microfermentations showed that fermentation temperature gradients and time on skins increased thiol and ester compounds postfermentation, and these compounds are known to cause tropical fruit aromas in wines. This work aimed to scale up these fermentations/operations to determine if the desired aromas could still be achieved and if there is a perceivable difference in tropical fruit aromas, liking, and emotional response in the wines by consumers. Four treatments were tested at varying fermentation temperature gradients and skin contact times: control (SC0FG0), skin contact (SC1FG0), no skin contact fermentation gradient (SC0FG1), and skin contact fermentation gradient (SC1FG1). Chemical analysis and descriptive sensory analysis were conducted to determine changes in the composition and aroma profiles of these wines. Check-all-that-apply (CATA) showed different prominent aromas for each wine treatment, with pome fruit, stone fruit, pineapple, honeysuckle, honey, and passionfruit being the most perceived aromas. Descriptive analysis (DA) showed that SC1FG0 was significantly different from both SC0FG1 and SC1FG1. SC1FG0 had the most tropical fruit aromas, SC1FG1 had more stone fruit, and SC0FG1 had more honey and lemon/lime. Consumer liking showed no significant difference, while emotional response showed a significant difference. SC0FG0 was described using emotions of satisfied, calm, and secure, while SC1FG0 was described using disgusted, agitated, and worried. Combining these descriptive and emotional sensory results can be used to help guide decisions of winemakers trying to achieve consistent tropical fruit aromas in Chardonnay wines.
Funding Support: AVF
