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Correlating wine quality indicators to chemical and sensory measurements.

Correlating wine quality indicators to chemical and sensory measurements.

Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) (2015-05-20)

Helene Hopfer, Jenny Nelson, Susan E Ebeler, Hildegarde Heymann

ABSTRACT

Twenty-seven commercial Californian Cabernet Sauvignon wines of different quality categories were analyzed with sensory and chemical methods. Correlations between five quality proxies-points awarded during a wine competition, wine expert scores, retail price, vintage, and wine region-were correlated to sensory attributes, volatile compounds, and elemental composition. Wine quality is a multi-faceted construct, incorporating many different layers. Depending on the quality proxy studied, significant correlations between quality and attributes, volatiles and elements were found, some of them previously reported in the literature.

MATERIALS

Product Number

Brand

Product Description

Sigma-Aldrich

Acetaldehyde, natural, FG

Sigma-Aldrich

Ethyl alcohol, Pure, 200 proof, anhydrous, ≥99.5%

Sigma-Aldrich

2-Undecanone, 99%

Sigma-Aldrich

Nitric acid, ACS reagent, ≥90.0%

Sigma-Aldrich

Acetaldehyde, ≥99%, meets FCC analytical specification

Sigma-Aldrich

(±)-2-Methylbutyric acid, natural, ≥98%, FG

Sigma-Aldrich

Nitric acid, 70%, purified by redistillation, ≥99.999% trace metals basis

Supelco

Ethanol standards 10% (v/v), 10 % (v/v) in H₂O, analytical standard

Sigma-Aldrich

Propionic acid, BioReagent, suitable for insect cell culture, ~99%

Sigma-Aldrich

Acetaldehyde, ACS reagent, ≥99.5%

Sigma-Aldrich

2-Undecanone, ≥98%, FCC, FG

Sigma-Aldrich

Propionic acid, natural, 99%, FG

Sigma-Aldrich

Ethyl 2-methylbutyrate, 99%

Sigma-Aldrich

Propionic acid, ≥99.5%, FCC, FG

Sigma-Aldrich

Ethyl alcohol, Pure, 190 proof, ACS spectrophotometric grade, 95.0%

Sigma-Aldrich

2-Undecanone, natural, FCC, FG

Sigma-Aldrich

Propionic acid, ACS reagent, ≥99.5%

Sigma-Aldrich

Ethyl 2-methylbutyrate, ≥98%, FCC, FG

Sigma-Aldrich

Ethyl 2-methylbutyrate, natural, mixture of enantiomers, ≥98%, FCC, FG

Sigma-Aldrich

Ethyl alcohol, Pure, 200 proof, ACS reagent, meets USP testing specifications, Excise Tax-free, Permit for use required

Sigma-Aldrich

Ethyl alcohol, Pure, 190 proof, ACS reagent, meets USP testing specifications, Excise Tax-free, Permit for use required

Sigma-Aldrich

Ethyl alcohol, Pure, 160 proof, Excise Tax-free, Permit for use required

Sigma-Aldrich

(−)-Linalool, ≥95.0% (sum of enantiomers, GC)

Sigma-Aldrich

Propionic acid, puriss. p.a., ≥99.5% (GC)

Sigma-Aldrich

Ethyl alcohol, Pure, 190 proof, meets USP testing specifications

Sigma-Aldrich

Sodium chloride, BioXtra, ≥99.5% (AT)

Sigma-Aldrich

Hexanoic acid, ≥98%, FCC, FG

Sigma-Aldrich

Linalool, 97%

Sigma-Aldrich

Hydrochloric acid solution, ~6 M in H₂O, for amino acid analysis

Sigma-Aldrich

Sodium chloride solution, BioUltra, for molecular biology, ~5 M in H₂O