In-mouth attributes driving perceived quality of Pinot noir wines: Sensory and chemical characterisation

Effect of Mannoprotein-Producing Yeast on Viscosity and Mouthfeel of Red Wine

Mannoproteins enhance wine stability and sensory properties, but their specific role in modulating viscosity and mouthfeel across wine quality levels remains underexplored. This study explores the nuanced impact of various mannoprotein-producing yeast strains on specific mouthfeel sensations, particularly emphasizing viscosity, across Standard and Premium quality tiers of Cabernet Sauvignon commercial wines. The aim was to understand the intricate relationship between yeast-derived mannoproteins and the broader sensory landscape of red wines. The methodology encompasses a comprehensive mannose extraction method, rheological measurements, and sensory Rate-All-That-Apply evaluations, all of which are integrated into a Principal Component Analysis. The results showed slight color variations due to the wine spending one month on lees. A positive correlation was found between mannose content and viscosity in only Standard-quality wines. The correlation with sensory data indicated a strong relationship between volume, viscosity, and mannose content in Premium-quality wines, which was less pronounced in Standard-quality wines. Furthermore, parameters related to mouthfeel quality, such as roundness and smoothness, were also associated with these findings. Prospects involve further exploration of correlations between mouthfeel sensations, sensory descriptors, and the structural characteristics of mannoproteins, aiming for a more comprehensive understanding of the intricate interplay in wine composition.

Inter-regional characterisation of New Zealand pinot noir wines: Correlation between wine colour, monomeric and polymeric phenolics, tannin composition, antioxidant capacity, and sensory attributes

A total of 116 New Zealand Pinot Noir wines from Central Otago (CO), Marlborough (MLB), and Martinborough (MTB) were analysed for colour, monomeric and total phenolics, antioxidant capacity, and tannins using colourimetric and HPLC methods. Correlations among chemical compositions and analytical techniques were examined. Additionally, a sensory study assessed wine colour and five mouthfeel attributes. Discriminant analyses revealed significant regional characteristics. CO wines displayed unique monomeric anthocyanin profiles and were perceived as softer on the palate. MLB wines showed higher residual sugar but lower colour intensity and tannin concentration. MTB wines exhibited higher colour and robust mouthfeels, linked to higher colour absorbances, polymeric pigments, and tannins. Mouthfeel attributes correlated significantly with wine total phenolics, MCP and HPLC tannin measurements, and the degree of tannin polymerisation (mDP). The combined chemical and sensory data enhanced regional differentiation, demonstrating the importance of integrating comprehensive chemical measurements with sensory evaluations for thorough wine classification.

One of the major challenges of masking the bitter taste in medications: an overview of quantitative methods for bitterness

Objective

The aim of the present study was to carry out a systematic research on bitterness quantification to provide a reference for scholars and pharmaceutical developers to carry out drug taste masking research. Significance: The bitterness of medications poses a significant concern for clinicians and patients. Scientifically measuring the intensity of drug bitterness is pivotal for enhancing drug palatability and broadening their clinical utility.

Methods

The current study was carried out by conducting a systematic literature review that identified relevant papers from indexed databases. Numerous studies and research are cited and quoted in this article to summarize the features, strengths, and applicability of quantitative bitterness assessment methods.

Results

In our research, we systematically outlined the classification and key advancements in quantitative research methods for assessing drug bitterness, including in vivo quantification techniques such as traditional human taste panel methods, as well as in vitro quantification methods such as electronic tongue analysis. It focused on the quantitative methods and difficulties of bitterness of natural drugs with complex system characteristics and their difficulties in quantification, and proposes possible future research directions.

Conclusion

The quantitative methods of bitterness were summarized, which laid an important foundation for the construction of a comprehensive bitterness quantification standard system and the formulation of accurate, efficient and rich taste masking strategies.

Fine wine recognition and appreciation: It is time to change the paradigm of wine tasting

Wine quality maybe understood under two perspectives: (a) commercial quality, intended to satisfy overall consumers, and (b) fine wine quality, aimed at achieving a product with aesthetic value. The current food sensory techniques (e.g. Descriptive Analysis) have been successfully applied to develop wines accepted worldwide and characterized by pleasant sweetish flavours and smooth mouthfeel. On the contrary, these techniques are not suited to characterize fine wines given their dependence on sensory properties with aesthetic value. The conventional tasting approaches follow the sequence of vision, smell (orthonasal), taste and mouthfeel, ending by an overall evaluation. The sensory descriptors tend to be analytic (e.g. different aromas and tastes) or synthetic (e.g. body, structure) and the quality judgement is left for the final step. Some synthetic attributes may have an aesthetic significance (e.g. complexity, harmony, depth) and are more valued when the analytic or synthetic descriptors are highly praised (e.g. oakiness, silkiness, body, minerality). Consequently, these highly praised attributes are regarded as surrogates of fine wine quality. However, commercial wines are frequently judged of higher quality than fine wines irrespective of the taster expertise. We argue that the conventional sensory analysis sequence makes the overall evaluation secondary in relation to the previous analytical steps blurring the assessment of wine's aesthetic properties. Probably due to top-down processing, the initial evaluation of colour or flavours governs the final overall quality evaluation that may be inconsistently rated. Then, to promote the recognition of fine wines, tasting should begin by first acknowledging the aesthetic properties and only proceed to the analytical steps if necessary. A tasting method is proposed to consumer educational programs where emotional responses are used to explain the differences between commercial and fine wine styles. Furthermore, cultural aspects should be included to appreciate the wholeness of wine. Hopefully, this holistic perspective would turn wine appreciation more approachable and facilitate the recognition of fine wines among consumers, increasing their appreciation and enjoyment.

Mouthfeel subqualities in wines: A current insight on sensory descriptors and physical-chemical markers

Astringency and more generally mouthfeel perception are relevant to the overall quality of the wine. However, their origin and description are still uncertain and are constantly updating. Additionally, the terminology related to mouthfeel properties is expansive and extremely diversified, characterized by common traditional terms as well as novel recently adopted descriptors. In this context, this review evaluated the mention frequency of astringent subqualities and other mouthfeel attributes in the scientific literature of the last decades (2000-August 17, 2022). One hundred and twenty-five scientific publications have been selected and classified based on wine typology, aim, and instrumental-sensorial methods adopted. Dry resulted as the most frequent astringent subquality (10% for red wines, 8.6% for white wines), while body-and related terms-is a common mouthfeel sensation for different wine types, although its concept is still vague. Alongside, promising analytical and instrumental techniques investigating and simulating the in-mouth properties are discussed in detail, such as rheology for the viscosity and tribology for the lubrication loss, as well as the different approaches for the quantitative and qualitative evaluation of the interaction between salivary proteins and astringency markers. A focus on the phenolic compounds involved in the tactile perception was conducted, with tannins being the compounds conventionally found responsible for astringency. Nevertheless, other non-tannic polyphenolic classes (i.e., flavonols, phenolic acids, anthocyanins, anthocyanin-derivative pigments) as well as chemical-physical factors and the wine matrix (i.e., polysaccharides, mannoproteins, ethanol, glycerol, and pH) can also contribute to the wine in-mouth sensory profile. An overview of mouthfeel perception, factors involved, and its vocabulary is useful for enologists and consumers.

In Vitro and In Silico Interaction Studies with Red Wine Polyphenols against Different Proteins from Human Serum

Previous reports have shown that consumption of wine has several health benefits; however, there are different types of wine. In the present study, red wines were investigated for their compositions of active ingredients. The interaction of each component in terms of its binding mode with different serum proteins was unraveled, and the components were implicated as drug candidates in clinical settings. Overall, the study indicates that red wines have a composition of flavonoids, non-flavonoids, and phenolic acids that can interact with the key regions of proteins to enhance their biological activity. Among them, rutin, resveratrol, and tannic acid have shown good binding affinity and possess beneficial properties that can enhance their role in clinical applications.