Abstract

VILANOVA, M.  and  FREIRE, L.. Complementary effect of blending on the volatile composition of albarino and loureira white wines (Vitis vinifera L.) from NW Spain. S. Afr. J. Enol. Vitic. [online]. 2017, vol.38, n.1, pp.109-117. ISSN 2224-7904.

Albarino and Loureira are highly valuable white grape cultivars from the Northwest Iberian Peninsula (Northwest Spain and Northern Portugal). The purpose of this study was to determine how blending affects the volatile composition of Albarino and Loureira white wines. Four Vitis vinifera white wines (Albarino, Loureira, Caino Blanco and Godello) were blended at different proportions, resulting in four wines -two two-wine blends (83:17 Albarino-Caino Blanco and 50:50 Loureira-Caino Blanco) and two three-wine blends (48:32:20 Albarino-Loureira-Caino Blanco and 35:35:30 Loureira-Caino Blanco-Godello). The blended wines were compared with Albarino and Loureira single wines. The volatile composition of the wines was evaluated using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry to identify changes in the aroma compounds of the blends with respect to the Albarino and Loureira varietal wines. The Loureira and Albarino single wines had the highest concentrations of volatiles. However, the blended wines, especially those with Loureira, showed increases in terpenes and C₁₃-norisoprenoids. Discriminant analysis showed that C₆-alcohols and phenol volatiles were the variables that contributed the most to the differences between Albarino and the blended wines, whereas terpenes and C₁₃-norisoprenoids made the greatest contributions to the differences between Loureira and the blended wines. The odour activity value was calculated to analyse the sensory influence of the volatiles, and this showed the superiority of the Loureira single wine aroma and the 50:50 Loureira-Caino Blanco blended wines vs. Albarino and the other blended wines. The blended wines with a high proportion of Loureira appeared to be richer in volatile compounds, which increased the complexity of the wines' aroma.

Keywords : Blended wine; volatiles aroma; Albarino; Loureira; Caino blanco; Godello.

        · text in English     · English ( pdf )