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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

Ethanol, ≥99.5%, SAJ super special grade

Sigma-Aldrich

Ethanol, JIS 1000, ≥99.5%, for residue analysis

Sigma-Aldrich

Nitric acid, 1 M

Sigma-Aldrich

Ethanol, ≥99.5%

Sigma-Aldrich

Nitric acid, SAJ first grade, 65.0-66.0%, density: 1.40

Sigma-Aldrich

Nitric acid, 0.1 M

Sigma-Aldrich

Ethanol, JIS 300, ≥99.5%, for residue analysis

Sigma-Aldrich

Ethanol, ≥99.5%, suitable for absorption spectrum analysis

Sigma-Aldrich

Ethanol, ≥99.5%, suitable for HPLC

Sigma-Aldrich

Ethanol, ≥99.5%, suitable for fluorescence

Sigma-Aldrich

Acetaldehyde, ≥99%, meets FCC analytical specification

Sigma-Aldrich

Nitric acid, ACS reagent, ≥90.0%

Sigma-Aldrich

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

Sigma-Aldrich

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

Sigma-Aldrich

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

Sigma-Aldrich

Acetaldehyde, ACS reagent, ≥99.5%

Sigma-Aldrich

2-Undecanone, ≥98%, FCC, FG

Sigma-Aldrich

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

Sigma-Aldrich

Ethyl 2-methylbutyrate, ≥98%, FCC, FG

Sigma-Aldrich

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

Sigma-Aldrich

Propionic acid, ≥99.5%, FCC, FG

Sigma-Aldrich

2-Undecanone, natural, FCC, FG

Sigma-Aldrich

Propionic acid, natural, 99%, FG

Sigma-Aldrich

Hydrogen chloride, ReagentPlus^®, ≥99%

Sigma-Aldrich

Propionic acid, ACS reagent, ≥99.5%

Sigma-Aldrich

Ethyl 2-methylbutyrate, 99%

Sigma-Aldrich

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

Sigma-Aldrich

Acetaldehyde, natural, FG

Sigma-Aldrich

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

Supelco

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