Two Sides to One Story—Aroma Chemical and Sensory Signature of Lugana and Verdicchio Wines

Abstract

Lugana and Verdicchio are two Italian white wines with a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) label. These two wine types are produced in different regions using the same grape variety. The aim of this work is to investigate the existence of volatile chemical markers that could help to elucidate differences between Lugana and Verdicchio wines both at chemical and sensory levels. Thirteen commercial wine samples were analyzed by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS), and 76 volatile compounds were identified and quantified. Verdicchio and Lugana had been differentiated on the basis of 19 free and glycosidically bound compounds belonging to the chemical classes of terpenes, benzenoids, higher alcohols, C6 alcohols and norisoprenoids. Samples were assessed by means of a sorting task sensory analysis, resulting in two clusters formed. These results suggested the existence of 2 product types with specific sensory spaces that can be related, to a good extend, to Verdicchio and Lugana wines. Cluster 1 was composed of six wines, 4 of which were Lugana, while Cluster 2 was formed of 7 wines, 5 of which were Verdicchio. The first cluster was described as “fruity”, and “fresh/minty”, while the second as “fermentative” and “spicy”. An attempt was made to relate analytical and sensory data, the results showed that damascenone and the sum of 3 of esters the ethyl hexanoate, ethyl octanoate and isoamyl acetate, was characterizing Cluster 1. These results highlighted the primary importance of geographical origin to the volatile composition and perceived aroma of Lugana and Verdicchio wines.

Measurement of the Effect of Accelerated Aging on the Aromatic Compounds of Gewürztraminer and Teroldego Wines, Using a SPE-GC-MS/MS Protocol

“…Other important benzenoids: methyl salicylate is an organic ester naturally produced by many plants, particularly wintergreens, and also present in wine, sometimes in quite high quantities, such as in the Verdicchio and Lugana varieties [38,39]. It was demonstrated that it could be present in both free and bound form (MeSA glycosides).…”

Dimethyl Sulfide (DMS) in Amarone Wines: Influence of Aging, Withering, Grape Variety, and Geographical Origin

“…Simultaneously, control samples were stored at 4 °C. All samples were prepared in triplicate and analyzed by headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) coupled to gas chromatography−mass spectrometry (GC−MS) following the method of Slaghenaufi et al 32 Influence of pH on DMS Formation during Aging. An Amarone wine from vintage 2015 (initial concentration of DMS: 10.3 μg/L and pH 3.45) was spiked with S-methylmethionine (SMM) in the form of DL-methionine methylsulfonium chloride (Merck, Darmstadt, Germany) at 6.4 mg/L, in order to have a final concentration of 2 mg/L of DMS equivalents.…”

“…Simultaneously, control samples were stored at 4 °C. All samples were prepared in triplicate and analyzed by headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) coupled to gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) following the method of Slaghenaufi et al …”

“…DMS in both commercial Amarone wines and wines submitted to model aging were analyzed using HS-SPME–GC–MS following the method of Slaghenaufi et al Ten milliliters of wine was transferred into 20 mL vials containing 3 g of NaCl and spiked with 100 μL of internal standard DMS- d 6 (2 mg/L in ethanol). Samples were equilibrated at 35 °C for 5 min; then, a PDMS-DVB SPME fiber was exposed into the headspace of the sample for 30 min.…”

Reconstruction of Simplified Microbial Consortia to Modulate Sensory Quality of Kombucha Tea

“…Volatile sulfur-containing compounds were quantified according to [32] by placing 10 mL of sample with 100 µL of internal standard (DMS-d6, 2 mg/L in ethanol) and 3 g of NaCl into a 20-mL glass vial. SPME extraction was performed using a polydimethylsiloxanedivinylbenzene fibre (PDMS/DVB) (Supelco, Bellafonte, PA, USA) exposed to sample headspace for 30 min.…”