White wines aroma recovery and enrichment: sensory-led aroma selection and consumer perception

Abstract

We developed a sensory-based methodology to aromatically enrich wines using different aromatic fractions recovered during fermentations of Sauvignon Blanc must. By means of threshold determination and generic descriptive analysis using a trained sensory panel, the aromatic fractions were characterized, selected, and clustered. The selected fractions were grouped, re-assessed, and validated by the trained panel. A consumer panel assessed overall liking and answered a CATA question on some enriched wines and their ideal sample. Differences in elicitation rates between non-enriched and enriched wines with respect to the ideal product highlighted product optimization and the role of aromatic enrichment. Enrichment with aromatic fractions in- creased the aromatic quality of wines and enhanced consumer appreciation.