Mildred Melina Chigo-Hernandez, Aubrey DuBois, and Elizabeth Tomasino*
*Oregon State University, 100 Wiegand Hall, Corvallis, OR, 97331 (elizabeth.tomasino@oregonstate.edu)

Monoterpenes are important aroma compounds in white wines. Many monoterpenes are chiral and the chiral forms have different aroma qualities. Rose oxide is an import­ant chiral compound found in Gewürztraminer wines. The enantiomers of the chiral rose oxide vary in wines. The differences in the enantiomeric ratios have the potential to alter wine aroma and to change aroma quality in combination with other mono­terpenes. The aim of this study was to evaluate rose oxide enantiomers at different ratios and the interaction of rose oxide with linalool and alpha-terpineol. Twelve compound combinations were tested in a dearomatized wine with different ratios of rose oxide and combinations with linalool and alpha-terpineol. Triangle tests, check-all-that-apply (CATA) and descriptive analysis were used to evaluate the aroma of the wine treatments. Results show that the ratio of rose oxide enantiomers did alter aroma. Additionally, descriptive analysis showed that the rose oxide enantiomer ratios altered aroma when linalool and alpha-terpineol were at low or medium concentra­tions, influencing grapefruit, lychee, and stone fruit aromas. At high concentrations, linalool and alpha-terpineol mask rose oxide, resulting in wines described as tropical fruit, ginger, rose, and honeysuckle. Understanding how different combinations and concentrations of monoterpenes alter aroma perception of white wines is important to achieve desired wine qualities and helps interpret flavor chemistry information.

Funding Support: Fulbright Foreign Student Program