Background and Aims Wine aroma is influenced by complex interactions between various wine constituents. This study investigated the sensorial interactive effects of Sauvignon Blanc impact compounds, 3‐mercaptohexan‐1‐ol, 3‐isobutyl‐2‐methoxypyrazine with aldehydes typically originating from oxidation of white wines, methional and phenylacetaldehyde. Methods and Results Spiked model wines were subjected to sensory descriptive analysis using a trained panel. The concentration of each compound varied from below aroma threshold value to high values reported in wine. Combinations of the four compounds were also evaluated sensorially. Depending on the concentration of the compounds, methional had a strong suppressive effect on the intensity of attributes contributed by 3‐mercaptohexan‐1‐ol, such as grapefruit and guava, whereas methional and 3‐isobutyl‐2‐methoxypyrazine enhanced the intensity of certain attributes, which included cooked beans and cooked potato. Conclusions Complex sensory interactions may occur between Sauvignon Blanc impact compounds and compounds related to oxidation depending on concentration of the compounds. Oxidation‐derived compounds such as methional can suppress pleasant aroma attributes linked to volatile thiols, while contributing negative attributes especially in the presence of 3‐isobutyl‐2‐methoxypyrazine. Significance of the Study This study highlights the importance of preserving fresh and fruity flavours while preventing the formation of unwanted aldehydes due to interactions that can influence the overall aroma profile of the wine. This study may also contribute to the sensory characterisation of oxidised Sauvignon Blanc wine.

The aim of the study was to propose a methodology for the elucidation of sensory and chemical wine quality drivers. The winners of the 2018 Top 10 Chenin Blanc and Top 10 Pinotage challenges and additional lower scoring wines for each cultivar were evaluated. The two sets underwent sensory profiling by Check-All-That-Apply (CATA) and a 20-point quality rating by industry experts in non-competition conditions and chemical fingerprinting by Liquid Chromatography-High Resolution Mass Spectrometry (LC-HRMS). Data were submitted to Correspondence Analysis (CA) and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) for sensory and chemistry, respectively, from which the standardised deviates were correlated to quality scores to identify the quality drivers. The results illustrated the possibility to determine positive and negative sensory quality drivers (attributes), while the identification of drivers for chemistry (ions) was challenging due to the number of signals generated by the fingerprinting technique. The configurations of the sensory and chemical spaces were compared, but the similarities were relatively low as measured by Regression Vector (RV) coefficients, 0.437 and 0.505 for Pinotage and Chenin Blanc, respectively. The proposed methodology can also be used to explore the sensory space of wine sample sets with the added dimension of the quality drivers which, in turn, highlight the experts’ opinions on what makes a winning wine.

Background and Aims Two compounds that play an important role in the aroma of Sauvignon Blanc wines are 3‐mercaptohexan‐1‐ol (3MH) and 2‐isobutyl‐3‐methoxypyrazine (IBMP). Little is known about the sensory interaction of these two compounds in Sauvignon Blanc wine and which aroma attributes they elicit at the concentration range normally found in Sauvignon Blanc wines. Methods and Results 3‐Mercaptohexan‐1‐ol and IBMP were spiked separately or as a mixture to dearomatised Sauvignon Blanc wine at five different concentrations normally occurring in wine, and were assessed by a trained sensory panel. Descriptors were generated by the panel for these compounds when added alone, with overall tropical, guava and passionfruit being generated for 3MH, while overall green, green pepper and grass were used for IBMP. The contribution of these attributes differed, however, depending on the concentration of 3MH and IBMP. Conclusions There is sensory interaction between 3MH and IBMP. The sensory attributes linked to each compound can depend on the concentration of both compounds present in wine. It is possible that wine producers may use this phenomenon to achieve a specific style of Sauvignon Blanc wine. Significance of the Study This study might allow wine producers to predict which aroma profile to expect when 3MH and IBMP occur at a certain concentration in Sauvignon Blanc wine.