Impact of partial alcohol reduction in Syrah wine on perceived complexity and temporality of sensations and link with preference

Dealcoholized wine: Techniques, sensory impacts, stability, and perspectives of a growing industry

The category of dealcoholized wine is receiving mounting interest within the wine industry related to the ability to retain sensory characteristics similar to regular wine while reducing or completely removing the alcohol level. This option has led health-conscious consumers to seek a lower alcohol alternative without compromising the authentic wine experience. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the various dealcoholization techniques that are being used in the production of dealcoholized and partial dealcoholized wine, specifically examining reverse osmosis, osmotic distillation, vacuum distillation, spinning cone column, pervaporation, and diafiltration along with the effects of these methods on chemical and sensory characteristics of wine, involving flavor, aroma, mouthfeel, and finish. Various aspects of the impact of dealcoholization on wine stability were explored, including chemical, microbial, oxidative, and color stability. Furthermore, the market analysis of dealcoholized wine products including present and future growth in different regions is reported. Understanding these factors is of utmost importance for dealcoholized wine's growing advancement and market success, as it endeavors to accommodate various customer demands and preferences in a swiftly changing beverage environment.

Non-Alcoholic Wines: Sensory Pleasantness and Health Benefits

Non-alcoholic wine is becoming popular as a healthier alternative to traditional wine, offering potential health benefits without the risks of alcohol consumption. Sensory attributes, such as taste and aroma, significantly influence consumer preferences, with sweet, sour, and balanced fragrances favored over bitter or medicinal notes. A lower alcohol content can enhance the complexity of sensory properties, suggesting that non-alcoholic wines provide an appealing experience. Moderate consumption, particularly of red wine, has been linked to reduced cardiovascular mortality, attributed to phenolic compounds like resveratrol and quercetin present in both alcoholic and non-alcoholic wines. These bioactive components are associated with reduced risks of chronic diseases by modulating biochemical pathways and gene expression. Health-conscious consumers are increasingly taking these benefits into account in their purchasing decisions. Non-alcoholic wines may appeal to individuals seeking health benefits without the presence of alcohol. While some evidence supports the health advantages of wine, most research is observational, and the specific benefits of non-alcoholic options need further investigation. Challenges include isolating the effects of wine's bioactive compounds from other factors and creating appealing non-alcoholic wines through innovative fermentation techniques, such as using non-Saccharomyces yeast strains. Overall, non-alcoholic wine holds promise for those seeking sensory and health benefits without alcohol, highlighting the need for ongoing research and innovation in production methods to enhance its appeal and validate its benefits. Based on recent findings, this review will examine the sensory qualities and health benefits of non-alcoholic wine.

Effect of frozen storage duration on temporal dominance of sensations (TDS), chemical investigations and moisture distribution of roasted chicken wings

In order to guide manufacturers or consumers to choose frozen chicken wings (CWS) reasonably for roasting, the changes of sensory quality and physicochemical properties of CWS with different freezing storage time (0-12 months) after roasting were studied. The results showed that juiciness, fat flavor, meat flavor, and saltiness were the most important dominant attributes of roasted CWS, and their dominance rate gradually decreased from the ninth month. Increased (P < 0.05) TBARS value and water loss result in poor juiciness. According to the results of GC-IMS, the decrease of the dominant rate of meaty may be related to the decrease of the contents of 2-ethyl-5-methylpyrazine, benzene and thiazole. In addition, the accumulation of 1-octen-3-ol, n-hexanol, and hexanal caused by long-term freezing (> 9 months) give chicken wings a fishy and metallic taste. Therefore, CWS that have been frozen for more than 9 months are not ideal ingredients for roasting.

Multi-attribute temporal descriptive methods in sensory analysis applied in food science: A systematic scoping review

Among descriptive sensory evaluation methods, temporal methods have a wide audience in food science because they make it possible to follow perception as close as possible to the moment when sensations are perceived. The aim of this work was to describe 30 years of research involving temporal methods by mapping the scientific literature using a systematic scoping review. Thus, 363 research articles found from a search in Scopus and Web of Science from 1991 to 2022 were included. The extracted data included information on the implementation of studies referring to the use of temporal methods (details related to subjects, products, descriptors, research design, data analysis, etc.), reasons why they were used and the conclusions they allowed to be drawn. Metadata analysis and critical appraisal were also carried out. A quantitative and qualitative synthesis of the results allowed the identification of trends in the way in which the methods were developed, refined, and disseminated. Overall, a large heterogeneity was noted in the way in which the temporal measurements were carried out and the results presented. Some critical research gaps in establishing the validity and reliability of temporal methods have also been identified. They were mostly related to the details of implementation of the methods (e.g., almost no justification for the number of consumers included in the studies, absence of report on panel repeatability) and data analysis (e.g., prevalence of use of exploratory data analysis, only 20% of studies using confirmatory analyses considering the dynamic nature of the data). These results suggest the need for general guidelines on how to implement the method, analyze and interpret data, and report the results. Thus, a template and checklist for reporting data and results were proposed to help increase the quality of future research.

Studies on the Enhancement of Sparkling Wine and Chocolate Pairing through Compositional Profile Analysis

Consumers are looking to experience as many interesting culinary combinations as possible, and there is a growing tendency to associate wine with various foods. Although there are some studies associating wine with chocolate, especially red wine, no articles have been published referring to sparkling wines. Therefore, the purpose of this investigation was to identify the taste compatibility and sensory synergies between sparkling wine and chocolate, with a focus on identifying combinations that can enhance the tasting experience. For this experiment, 14 variants of sparkling wines obtained in Romania and 5 chocolate assortments were evaluated to identify the best culinary match. White chocolate fitted better with Chardonnay-demi-dry sparkling wine; ruby chocolate presented a good match with Fetească neagră-demi-dry; milk chocolate with 32% cocoa powder associated better with Tămâioasă românească-sweet; and dark chocolate with 70% and 95% cocoa powder had synergic matches with Fetească neagră-sweet. Wine attributes like sweetness, acidity, alcoholic strength and chocolate composition significantly impacted the level of match.

A Timely Application-Temporal methods, past, present, and future

Eating is a dynamic experience, and temporal sensory methods have been proposed to document how products change over the course of consumption or use (nonfood). A search of online databases yielded approximately 170 sources related to temporal evaluation of food products that were compiled and reviewed. This review summarizes the evolution of temporal methodologies (past), offers guidance in selecting appropriate methods (present), and provides insights into the future of temporal methodologies in the sensory space. Temporal methods have evolved to document a variety of characteristics in food products including how the intensity of a specific attribute changes over time (Time-Intensity), which specific attribute is dominant at each time during evaluation (Temporal Dominance of Sensations), which attributes are present at each time point during evaluation (Temporal Check-All-That-Apply), and many others (Temporal Order of Sensations, Attack-Evolution-Finish, and Temporal Ranking). In addition to documenting the evolution of temporal methods, this review considers the selection of an appropriate temporal method based on the objective and scope of research. When choosing a temporal method, researchers should also consider the selection of panelists to perform the temporal evaluation. Future temporal research should focus on validation of new temporal methods and explore how methods can be implemented and improved to add to the usefulness of temporal techniques for researchers.

Strategies for the sensorial optimization of alcohol-free wines

De-alcoholized wines are currently experiencing an increasing demand, but are also being discussed very controversially at this time. The de-alcoholization process is usually carried out by distillation processes under vacuum. The treatment is accompanied by a series of changes in terms of analytical and sensory parameters of the wines. Ethanol has a very complex and far ranging influence on the wine sensory character. Even more, the de-alcoholization process goes along with certain losses of aroma components. Several strategies were assessed to buffer and balance the effect of de-alcoholizing wines below 0.5% v/v. Compared to the addition of tannins and mannoproteins, sweetening showed clearer results on the panelist’s preference. The assessment of a commercial resin treatment to recover aroma from de-alcoholization process showed promising results.

Development of a Descriptive Profile and References for the Assessment of Taste and Mouthfeel Descriptors of Protected Designation of Origin Wines

Producers of PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) wines must submit to the EU authorities’ technical specifications that include the specific sensory description of each product typology, to be subsequently checked by the competent authority in each country. Unfortunately, there is no consensual and standardized approach for the development of sensory control methods for PDO wines. The aim of this work was to develop a sensory profile for the taste and mouthfeel descriptors that allows the characterization of wines from 11 existing PDOs in Catalonia (Spain), and with the purpose of advancing the process of harmonization of the official sensory analysis of wines. This paper includes the selection process of tasters, the procedure used for the definition and grouping of descriptors, and the development of references for the selected attributes. The use of this analytical tool should allow PDO/PGI product certification and control authorities to verify compliance with their specifications (descriptive and quantitative) based on objectively evaluated results.

Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) and Temporal Dominance of Sensations (TDS) in the Evaluation of DOC Douro Red Wine's Sensory Profile

In the Portuguese Douro region, several DOC (Denomination of Controlled Origin) Douro red wines are produced and, due to the peculiar characteristics of the three Douro sub-regions, present particular imprinted terroirs, that can be perceived when tasted. Considering the DOC Douro wine’s sensory profile and terroir, this study aimed to analyze the sensory characteristics of red wines produced in the three Douro sub-regions (Baixo Corgo, Cima Corgo, and Douro Superior) by a single point sensory technique, a Quantitative Descriptive Analysis—QDA^® and also applying a temporal method-TDS (Temporal Dominance of Sensations). The use of QDA and TDS methods proved to be efficient in the wine’s sensory profile characterizing. The QDA^® method allowed a detailed classification of attributes; however, the TDS method proved to be much more efficient. Moreover, the wines of the three sub-regions presented profiles with characteristics very similar in olfactory and taste/flavor aspects, pointing out a huge relation between the characteristics of the three sub-regions and the grape varieties present in the wines. Globally, the olfactory profile of wines is characterized by Fruity, Floral, and Balsamic aromatic notes, while the taste/flavor profile stands out, highlighting Astringency and Acidity and, again, Fruity as the main in-mouth aroma. It was also possible to conclude that TDS is a fast method that is easy to apply and has excellent results in the evaluation of the olfactory and taste/flavor profile of wines and, with a larger set of samples, it would be possible to obtain characteristic TDS curves for each Douro sub-region, providing a wine’s fingerprint that could be used for authentication and traceability purposes.

Crossmodal Harmony: Looking for the Meaning of Harmony Beyond Hearing

The notion of harmony was first developed in the context of metaphysics before being applied to the domain of music. However, in recent centuries, the term has often been used to describe especially pleasing combinations of colors by those working in the visual arts too. Similarly, the harmonization of flavors is nowadays often invoked as one of the guiding principles underpinning the deliberate pairing of food and drink. However, beyond the various uses of the term to describe and construct pleasurable unisensory perceptual experiences, it has also been suggested that music and painting may be combined harmoniously (e.g., see the literature on "color music"). Furthermore, those working in the area of "sonic seasoning" sometimes describe certain sonic compositions as harmonizing crossmodally with specific flavor sensations. In this review, we take a critical look at the putative meaning(s) of the term "harmony" when used in a crossmodal, or multisensory, context. Furthermore, we address the question of whether the term's use outside of a strictly unimodal auditory context should be considered literally or merely metaphorically (i.e., as a shorthand to describe those combinations of sensory stimuli that, for whatever reason, appear to go well together, and hence which can be processed especially fluently).

Comparison between Membrane and Thermal Dealcoholization Methods: Their Impact on the Chemical Parameters, Volatile Composition, and Sensory Characteristics of Wines

Over the last few years, the dealcoholization of wine has piqued the interest of winemakers and researchers. Physical dealcoholization methods are increasingly used in the dealcoholization of wines because they can partially or completely reduce the alcohol content of wines. This study aimed to compare the chemical parameters, volatile composition and sensory quality of white, rosé and red wines dealcoholized by two physical dealcoholization methods: reverse osmosis (RO) and vacuum distillation (VD) at 0.7% v/v ethanol. RO and VD effectively reduced the ethanol concentration in all wines to the required 0.7% v/v, but also significantly affected most chemical parameters. The pH, free sulfur dioxide, total sulfur dioxide, and volatile acidity decreased significantly due to dealcoholization by RO and VD, while reducing sugars and total acidity increased significantly. VD resulted in higher color intensity, which was perceptible in dealcoholized rosé and red wines, while RO caused notable color differences in dealcoholized white and red wine fractions. RO were richer in esters (more ethyl esters and isoamyl acetate), higher alcohols, organic acids, terpenics and C₁₃-norisoprenoids, and carbonyl compounds, while wines dealcoholized with VD had lower levels of these volatile compounds, which may reflect both the loss of esters into the distillate during evaporation and condensation (in the case of VD) and a shift in the chemical equilibrium responsible for ester formation and hydrolysis after ethanol removal. β-damascenone exhibited the highest OAV in all wines, however, losses equal to 35.54–61.98% in RO dealcoholized fractions and 93.62% to 97.39% in VD dealcoholized fractions were observed compared to the control wines. The predominant aroma series in the original and dealcoholized wines were fruity and floral but were greatly affected by VD. Sensory evaluation and PCA showed that dealcoholization by RO improved the fruity and floral notes (in rosé and red wines), color intensity, sweetness, viscosity, and aroma intensity better than dealcoholization by VD, while VD mainly enhanced the color of the dealcoholized wines. Both methods increased the acidity of the respective dealcoholized wines. Nevertheless, RO dealcoholized wines achieved higher acceptance by the panelists than VD dealcoholized wines. Therefore, RO may be a better method for producing dealcoholized (0.7% v/v) wines with minimal impact on aroma and sensory quality.

Techniques for Dealcoholization of Wines: Their Impact on Wine Phenolic Composition, Volatile Composition, and Sensory Characteristics

The attention of some winemakers and researchers over the past years has been drawn towards the partial or total dealcoholization of wines and alcoholic beverages due to trends in wine styles, and the effect of climate change on wine alcohol content. To achieve this, different techniques have been used at the various stages of winemaking, among which the physical dealcoholization techniques, particularly membrane separation (nanofiltration, reverse osmosis, evaporative perstraction, and pervaporation) and thermal distillation (vacuum distillation and spinning cone column), have shown promising results and hence are being used for commercial production. However, the removal of alcohol by these techniques can cause changes in color and losses of desirable volatile aroma compounds, which can subsequently affect the sensory quality and acceptability of the wine by consumers. Aside from the removal of ethanol, other factors such as the ethanol concentration, the kind of alcohol removal technique, the retention properties of the wine non-volatile matrix, and the chemical-physical properties of the aroma compounds can influence changes in the wine sensory quality during dealcoholization. This review highlights and summarizes some of the techniques for wine dealcoholization and their impact on wine quality to help winemakers in choosing the best technique to limit adverse effects in dealcoholized wines and to help meet the needs and acceptance among different targeted consumers such as younger people, pregnant women, drivers, and teetotalers.

Sensorial and Volatile Analysis of Wines Made from Partially Dehydrated Grapes: An Ontario Case Study

Winemaking in cool climate viticultural areas can pose challenges due to difficulties in achieving optimal ripeness from climatic conditions that tend to vary vintage-to-vintage. To stabilize quality, the use of partially dehydrated grapes has been indicated as beneficial to the production of high-quality wine (“appassimento” style) despite climatic variation. Postharvest wine grape dehydration is a complex process that involves the concentration or formation of sugars, aromas, and flavours. One of the quality challenges facing appassimento style winemaking is elevated levels of undesirable oxidation compounds. The aim of this study was to characterize wines made from a local yeast isolate, Saccharomyces uvarum CN1, which demonstrates limited osmotolerance and may have application to this wine style, as it is a known lower producer of such compounds. Wines made with CN1 were compared to wines made with the accepted commercial standard, S. cerevisiae, EC1118. Fermentations (n = 24) were established at three target starting sugar concentrations from dehydrated Cabernet franc grapes (24.5, 26.0, and 27.5°Brix) and a control (21.5°Brix) and were assessed for volatile organic compound (VOC) composition via gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Wines also underwent quantitative descriptive analysis to identify and quantify sensory attributes by a trained panel (n = 11). Results show that the wines fermented with the yeast isolate contain significant differences in the concentrations of VOCs in the wines. Sensorially, the wines differed in intensity for a number of attributes, including red fruit aroma, black fruit flavour, and length of finish both within Brix treatments and amongst yeast strains. The most important differentiating factor amongst these wines was the combination of yeast strain at the highest starting sugar concentration (27.5°Brix). These findings may assist winemakers by informing the yeast strain choice for optimizing appassimento style wine quality in cool climates.

Intertwined: What makes food and wine pairings appropriate?

This study sought to identify sensory attributes of appropriate food and wine pairings and relate them to balance, consumer liking, sensory complexity, and expected price. A descriptive analysis panel (n = 8) evaluated four Australian Shiraz wines along with four complex food samples, yielding 16 wine and food combinations. Based on the sensory profiles, distinct food and wine pairings (n = 6) were selected for consumer preference tests, comprising a real life, pseudo-three course meal with two wines. According to American consumers (n = 108), in the most appropriate pairings, flavour intensities increased and wine taste attributes changed in relation to individual components. Appropriate pairings positively correlated with liking, sensory complexity, and expected price to pay, and negatively with balance as a slight wine dominance was preferred. Pairings had an increase in liking and sensory complexity over the individual wine but not the food component. To account for individual variability, consumers were segmented by their liking of the pairing. Key drivers of successful pairings across consumer clusters were similar to the average consumer results, however, the preferred pairings differed by cluster. The findings suggest, the quality of food and wine pairings might be better measured with a combination of direct (dominance/balance, appropriateness of pairing) and indirect methods (sensory complexity, liking), instead of a single scale, and consumer segmentation may better account for the variability of results. The outcome of this study enhanced the understanding of the relationship between consumer behaviour and food and wine pairings.

Consumer perception and behaviour related to low-alcohol wine: do people overcompensate?

OBJECTIVE

Compared with standard wines, low-alcohol wines may have several social and health benefits. Innovative production processes have led to high-quality light wines. It is, however, unclear how consumers perceive and consume these alcohol-reduced wines. The current study aimed to investigate how people evaluate low-alcohol wine (Sauvignon Blanc) and if the reduction in alcohol and the information that a wine is low in alcohol influences consumption.

DESIGN

Randomised controlled trial (RCT).

SETTING

Participants were invited to a wine tasting and randomised into one of the three conditions: they either tasted a 'new white wine' (12·5 % alcohol content), a 'new low-alcohol white wine' (8·0 % alcohol content) or they tasted the low-alcohol wine but were not aware that the wine was reduced in alcohol (low-alcohol, blinded).

PARTICIPANTS

Ninety participants (42 % male, mean age = 41 (sd 14) years).

RESULTS

Mean comparisons showed similar ratings for the low-alcohol conditions and the standard alcohol condition (mean > 5·6/7). The mean consumed amount across all conditions did not differ (162 (sd 71) ml, (F2,86 = 0·43, P > 0·05)), hence people who tasted the low-alcohol wine consumed approximately 30 % less alcohol. However, participants were willing to pay more for the normal wine compared with the low-alcohol wine, (F2,87 = 3·14, P < 0·05).

CONCLUSIONS

Participants did not alter their drinking behaviour in response to the reduced alcohol content, and the low-alcohol wine was perceived positively. There might be an emerging market potential for wine of reduced alcohol content, but consumers may not be willing to pay the same price as for the standard wine.

Assessment Wine Aroma Persistence by Using an in Vivo PTR-ToF-MS Approach and Its Relationship with Salivary Parameters

To better understand wine aroma persistence, the nasal cavity of nine volunteers was monitored by Proton Transfer Reaction-Time of Flight-Mass Spectrometry (PTR-ToF-MS) after they rinsed their mouths with three rosé wines (one control and the same wine supplemented with two tannin extracts) during four minutes. Wines were aromatised with a mixture of five target aroma compounds. Results showed that wine aroma persistence was highly compound-dependent: while esters disappeared very fast, other compounds such as linalool remained in the oral cavity for longer times after wine expectoration. A low effect of tannins (at 50 mg/L) on nasal cavity parameters was observed, with the exception for the compound ethyl decanoate that was significantly higher released in the presence of tannins. Strong interindividual differences on aroma persistence were also found. Significant positive correlations with the salivary total protein content and negative with the salivary flow were observed for specific compounds. This work has studied for the first time in vivo wine aroma persistence in real time from an analytical perspective.

Application of yeast with reduced alcohol yield for sparkling wine production

Two commercial yeast strains with reduced alcohol production in comparison with a commercial yeast strain with common alcohol yield were assed for their suitability in sparkling wine production according to the traditional bottle fermentation. The different yeast strains were applied for the first fermentation. As expected the base wine differed in terms alcohol. Furthermore the yeast with lower alcohol content showed higher values of glycerol, higher arginine content and in the same time reduced levels of proline after fermentation. However those samples showed increased volatile acidity values, compared to the control wines. The later bottle fermentation with a uniform yeast strain showed similar fermentation kinetics for all four lots. Sensory evaluation showed no clear differences between the sparkling wines that were stored 9 months on the lees. The base wines nevertheless clearly differed from each other. Besides the increased production of volatile acidity, the tested yeast strains with lower alcohol production appear very promising for the sparkling wine industry to face the generally rising alcohol contents worldwide.

Multi-Sip Time⁻Intensity Evaluation of Retronasal Aroma after Swallowing Oolong Tea Beverage

In most cases, a meal cannot be finished with a single bite and sip. During eating and drinking, consumers receive dynamic food perceptions from sensory attributes in foods. Thus, we performed multi-sip time–intensity (TI) evaluation of sensory attribute. In each of ten trials, the participant evaluated continuously the intensity of retronasal aroma for 60 s after swallowing oolong tea. We compared the TI parameters (I_max: maximum intensity, T_max: time point at which intensity reached the maximum value, AUC: area under the TI curve, D_plateau: duration between the first and last time points with values exceeding 90% of the maximum intensity, R_inc: rate of intensity increase between the first time points with values exceeding 5% and 90% of the maximum intensity, and R_dec: rate of intensity decrease between the last time points with values exceeding 5% and 90% of the maximum intensity) and TI curves among the ten trials, and approximated each TI curve with an exponential model. Some TI parameters (I_max, T_max, AUC, and R_inc) differed significantly between the first and subsequent trials. The TI curve was significantly lower in the first trial than in the subsequent trials, and TI curve during the time from starting the evaluation to reaching maximum intensity was significantly lower in the second trial than in the subsequent trials. The time constant of the fitted exponential function revealed that the decay of retronasal aroma intensity was slightly faster in the second through fourth trials than in the first and the fifth through tenth trials. These results indicate that olfaction might be more perceptive while consumers sip a cup of the beverage.

Combined effect of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae lag phase and the non-Saccharomyces consortium to enhance wine fruitiness and complexity

Non-Saccharomyces (NS) species that are either naturally present in grape must or added in mixed fermentation with S. cerevisiae may impact the wine's chemical composition and sensory properties. NS yeasts are prevailing during prefermentation and early stages of alcoholic fermentation. However, obtaining the correct balance between S. cerevisiae and NS species is still a critical issue: if S. cerevisiae outcompetes the non-Saccharomyces, it may minimize their impact, while conversely if NS take over S. cerevisiae, it may result in stuck or sluggish fermentations. Here, we propose an original strategy to promote the non-Saccharomyces consortium during the prefermentation stage while securing fermentation completion: the use of a long lag phase S. cerevisiae. Various fermentations in a Sauvignon Blanc with near isogenic S. cerevisiae displaying short or long lag phase were compared. Fermentations were performed with or without a consortium of five non-Saccharomyces yeasts (Hanseniaspora uvarum, Candida zemplinina, Metschnikowia spp., Torulaspora delbrueckii, and Pichia kluyveri), mimicking the composition of natural NS community in grape must. The sensorial analysis highlighted the positive impact of the long lag phase on the wine fruitiness and complexity. Surprisingly, the presence of NS modified only marginally the wine composition but significantly impacted the lag phase of S. cerevisiae. The underlying mechanisms are still unclear, but it is the first time that a study suggests that the wine composition can be affected by the lag phase duration per se. Further experiments should address the suitability of the use of long lag phase S. cerevisiae in winemaking.

Sensory profile and volatile aroma composition of reduced alcohol Merlot wines fermented with Metschnikowia pulcherrima and Saccharomyces uvarum

Strategies for production of wines containing lower alcohol concentrations are in strong demand, for reasons of quality, health, and taxation. Development and application of wine yeasts that are less efficient at transforming grape sugars into ethanol has the potential to allow winemakers the freedom to make lower alcohol wines from grapes harvested at optimal ripeness, without the need for post-fermentation processes aimed at removing ethanol. We have recently shown that two non-conventional wine yeast species Metschnikowia pulcherrima and Saccharomyces uvarum were both able to produce wine with reduced alcohol concentration. Both species produced laboratory-scale wines with markedly different volatile aroma compound composition relative to Saccharomyces cerevisiae. This work describes the volatile composition and sensory profiles of reduced-alcohol pilot-scale Merlot wines produced with M. pulcherrima and S. uvarum. Wines fermented with M. pulcherrima contained 1.0% v/v less ethanol than S. cerevisiae fermented wines, while those fermented with S. uvarum showed a 1.7% v/v reduction in ethanol. Compared to S. cerevisiae ferments, wines produced with M. pulcherrima showed higher concentrations of ethyl acetate, total esters, total higher alcohols and total sulfur compounds, while wines fermented with S. uvarum were characterised by the highest total concentration of higher alcohols. Sensorially, M. pulcherrima wines received relatively high scores for sensory descriptors such as red fruit and fruit flavour and overall exhibited a sensory profile similar to that of wine made with S. cerevisiae, whereas the main sensory descriptors associated with wines fermented with S. uvarum were barnyard and meat. This work demonstrates the successful application of M. pulcherrima AWRI3050 for the production of pilot-scale red wines with reduced alcohol concentration and highlights the need for rigorous evaluation of non-conventional yeasts with regard to their sensory impacts.

Membrane Technologies in Wine Industry: An Overview

Membrane processes are increasingly reported for various applications in wine industry such as microfiltration, electrodialysis, and reverse osmosis, but also emerging processes as bipolar electrodialysis and membrane contactor. Membrane-based processes are playing a critical role in the field of separation/purification, clarification, stabilization, concentration, and de-alcoholization of wine products. They begin to be an integral part of the winemaking process. This review will provide an overview of recent developments, applications, and published literature in membrane technologies applied in wine industry.