South African de-alcoholised sparkling wines: a study focused on sensory and chemical profiles

Date
2022-12
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Abstract
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: De-alcoholised sparkling wines contain a maximum of 0.5% v/v ethanol and a minimum carbon dioxide (CO2) pressure of 300 kPa. The wines are produced through yeast-mediated alcoholic fermentation to full ethanol-strength of table wines (circa 12 to 14% v/v), followed by the physical removal of the volatile aroma fraction and reduction of the ethanol concentration. De-alcoholised base wines are reconstituted by re-introducing the volatile fraction, adding permitted chemical compounds, and sparging with external CO2. Although South Africa (SA) only recently joined the global trend of producing de-alcoholised sparkling wines in response to consumer preference for the products, no published information was available on their sensory quality and chemical composition when this study was undertaken. This study used a quantitative and qualitative approach to investigate the sensory quality of nine commercially available South African de-alcoholised white and rosé sparkling wines. A panel of 51 South African wine industry professionals tasted the wines and evaluated their quality using a 20- point scoring system with maximum points for each sensory modality: appearance 3, aroma 7, and palate 10. Qualitative wine sensory profiles were generated using the free listing method, whereby the professionals described their perceptions of the different modalities. Text data mining included standardisation of raw text, lemmatisation to form sensory groups, and categorising of the groups as positive, neutral, or negative wine attributes. Correspondence analysis identified the sensory categories that best described the wine profiles. The wines’ average total quality scores ranged between 11 and 14 points out of 20, with palate quality scoring, on average, from 4.9 to 6.0 out of 10 points. The free listing method produced an information-rich dataset with 2414, 2110, and 3321 word counts for appearance, aroma, and palate, respectively. The lemmatised text data resulted in 10 appearance, 29 aroma and 61 palate sensory categories. Examples of neutral sensory categories included ‘muscat’, ‘citrus’, and ‘fruit’ aroma, whie positive sensory categories included ‘wine-like’ aroma and ‘nose-palate follow-through’ of wine flavours. Negative palate categories (22 in total) included ‘watery’, ‘short finish’, ‘unbalanced’ and ‘acidic’. The volatile aroma profile and basic wine oenological parameters were generated and compared to published data on full-ethanol strength sparkling wines, in the absence of published data on de-alcoholised sparkling wines. Glycerol concentrations were markedly higher in the de- alcoholised wines, ranging from 14.30 to 20.20 g/L. Volatile compounds’ concentration showed lower ranges than in full-strength sparkling wines. For example, ethyl acetate and isoamyl alcohol ranged from 0.427 to 4.677 mg/L and 0.373 to 5.636 mg/L in this study, respectively, versus 8.000 to 45.200 mg/L and 16.317 to 167.080 mg/L in full-strength wines. The results showed that de-alcoholised sparkling wines are unique products with distinct sensory and chemical profiles. Future research topics to be pursued on best de-alcoholisation and re-constitution practices were pointed out. As a first exploratory study into this technically challenging product category, the results generated meaningful and informative feedback for the South African wine industry.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Ge-dealkoholiseerde vonkelwyn bevat 'n maksimum van 0.5% v/v etanol en 'n minimum koolstofdioksied (CO2) druk van 300 kPa. Die wyne word geproduseer deur gis-gemedieerde alkoholiese fermentasie tot volle etanol-sterkte van tafelwyne (ongeveer 12 tot 14% v/v), gevolg deur die fisiese verwydering van die vlugtige aromafraksie en vermindering van die etanolkonsentrasie. Ge-dealkoholiseerde basiswyne word hersaamgestel deur die vlugtige fraksie weer terug te plaas, toegelate chemiese verbindings by te voeg en eksterne CO2 bygevoeg. Alhoewel Suid-Afrika (SA) eers onlangs by die wêreldwye neiging aangesluit het om ge-dealkoholiseerde vonkelwyne te produseer in reaksie op verbruikersvoorkeure vir die produkte, was geen gepubliseerde inligting oor die sensoriese kwaliteit en chemiese samestelling van die wyne beskikbaar toe hierdie studie onderneem. Hierdie studie het 'n kwantitatiewe en kwalitatiewe benadering gebruik om die sensoriese kwaliteit van nege kommersieel-beskikbare Suid-Afrikaanse ge-dealkoholiseerde wit en rosé vonkelwyne te ondersoek. 'n Paneel van 51 wynindustriedeskundiges het die wyne geproe en die kwaliteit geëvalueer deur gebruik te maak van 'n 20-punt puntestelsel, met maksimum punte vir elke sensoriese modaliteit: voorkoms 3, aroma 7 en smaak 10. Kwalitatiewe wyn sensoriese profiele is gegenereer deur gebruik te maak van die vrye notering (Engels Free Listing) metode, waardeur die wynindustriedeskundiges hul persepsies van die verskillende modaliteite beskryf het. Teksdata-ontginning het standaardisering van rou teks, die vorming van sensoriese groepterme (Engels Lemmatisation) en kategorisering van die groepe as positief, neutraal of negatief behels. Die sensoriese kategorieë wat die wynprofiele die beste beskryf het, is met ooreenkomsanalise geïdentifiseer. Die wyne se gemiddelde totale gehaltetellings het tussen 11 en 14 punte uit 20 gewissel, met smaakgehaltepunte gemiddeld 4.9 tot 6.0 uit 10 punte. Die vrye noteringmetode het 'n inligtingryke datastel met 2414, 2110 en 3321 woorde vir onderskeidelik voorkoms, aroma en smaak opgelewer. Die vrye notering teksdata het gelei tot 10 voorkoms-, 29 aroma- en 61 smaak- sensoriese kategorieë. Voorbeelde van neutrale sensoriese kategorieë positiewe en neutrale sensoriese kategorieë was 'muskaat', 'sitrus', 'vrugte'-aroma, terwyl positiewe kategorieë 'wynagtige' aroma, en 'aroma-smaak-integrasie' van wyngeure ingesluit het. Negatiewe smaakkategorieë (22 in totaal) het 'waterig', 'kort nasmaak', 'ongebalanseerd' en 'suur' ingesluit. Die vlugtige aromaprofiel en basiese wynkundige parameters is gemeet en in die afwesigheid van gepubliseerde data oor gedealkoholiseerde vonkelwyne, vergelyk met gepubliseerde data oor vol-etanolsterkte vonkelwyne. Gliserolkonsentrasies was merkbaar hoër in die ge-dealkoholiseerde wyne en het gewissel het van 14.30 tot 20.20 g/L. Vlugtige aromaverbindings het laer konsentrasies getoon as in volsterkte vonkelwyne. Byvoorbeeld, etielasetaat en isoamielalkohol het onderskeidelik gewissel van 0.427 tot 4.677 mg/L en 0.373 tot 5.636 mg/L in hierdie studie, teenoor 8.000 tot 45.200 mg/L en 16.317 tot 167.080 mg/L in volsterkte wyn. Die resultate het getoon dat ge-dealkoholiseerde vonkelwyne unieke produkte is met duidelike sensoriese en chemiese profiele. Toekomstige navorsingsonderwerpe wat ondersoek moet word oor die beste de-alkoholiserings- en herkonstitueringspraktyke is uitgewys. As 'n eerste verkennende studie in hierdie tegnies uitdagende produkkategorie, het die resultate betekenisvolle en insiggewende terugvoer vir die Suid-Afrikaanse wynbedryf gegenereer.
Description
Thesis (MScAgric)--Stellenbosch University, 2022.
Keywords
Dealcoholized wines -- South Africa, Sparkling wines, Sensory quality, Chemical composition, Wine and wine making -- Analysis, Sensory evaluation, Wine -- Flavor and odor, UCTD
Citation