Revealing the Flavor Differences of Sauvignon Blanc Wines Fermented in Different Oak Barrels and Stainless-Steel Tanks Through Gc-Ms, Gc-Ims, Electronic, and Artificial Sensoryanalyses

Abstract

The fermentation vessel significantly impacts the flavor characteristics of white wine. This study provides the comprehensive flavor analysis of Sauvignon Blanc wines fermented in oak barrels and stainless-steel tanks. Wines fermented in new barrels exhibited higher levels of malic and tartaric acids compared with those fermented in old barrels or steel tanks, resulting in a more sour taste. Fermentation in oak barrels increased the content of majority phenolic compounds in wine compared to wines fermented in steel tanks. GC-MS identified eight differential compounds in the wines from different oak barrels and steel tanks. Moreover, GC-IMS identified furan, pyrazine, acetaldehyde, and valeraldehyde in wines from oak barrels, which enhanced aromatic complexity. Multi-factor analysis demonstrated that integrating GC-MS, GC-IMS, E-nose, and E-tongue analyses can improve the evaluation of flavor differences among various Sauvignon Blanc wines. This study provides essential insights to promote the quality and distinctiveness of Sauvignon Blanc wines.

Keywords: Sauvignon Blanc wine, Oak barrels, Flavor characteristics, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry (GC-IMS), electronic sensory