Development of a methodology to study typicity of PDO wines with professionals of the wine sector.

Background: Today, many agricultural products claiming a link to their origin and typicity receive a warm welcome on the market. Nevertheless, the notion of typicity is blurred for consumers and needs to be objectified for communication purposes. This study aims at formalizing a methodology for studying typicity of terroirs, with PDO wines as an example, using a participatory approach with professionals of the wine sector from terroirs, using focus group and tasting.

Influence of volatile thiols in the development of blackcurrant aroma in red wine.

A strong blackcurrant aroma was recently perceived in some red wines originating from the same appellation. Varietal thiols such as 4-mercapto-4-methyl-2-pentanone (4MMP), 3-(mercapto)hexyl acetate (3MHA) and 3-mercapto-1-hexanol (3MH) are compounds potentially responsible for the development of this aroma. In order to demonstrate the correlation between thiols concentrations in red wines and blackcurrant aroma intensity, a multiple variable analysis was realised with thiols concentrations obtained by chemical analysis and blackcurrant aroma intensities obtained by descriptive sensory analysis.

Straightforward synthesis of deuterated precursors to demonstrate the biogenesis of aromatic thiols in wine.

Straightforward synthesis of labeled S-3-(hexan-1-ol)-glutathione and S-4-(4-methylpentan-2-one)-glutathione has been developed through a conjugate addition optimization study. Sauvignon blanc fermentation experiments with the [(2)H(10)] S-4-(4-methylpentan-2-one)-glutathione used as a tracer released the corresponding deuterated thiol, thus proving the direct relationship with the 4-mercapto-4-methylpentan-2-one under enological conditions. The conversion yield of such transformation was estimated to be close to 0.

Evolution of S-cysteinylated and S-glutathionylated thiol precursors during oxidation of Melon B. and Sauvignon blanc musts.

Thiol precursor content in Melon B. and Sauvignon blanc grape juices obtained under vacuum was determined by quantifying cysteinylated and glutathionylated conjugates of 3-mercaptohexan-1-ol (3MH) and 4-methyl-4-mercaptopentan-2-one (4MMP). This characterization allowed the study of thiol precursor evolution during ripening of Sauvignon blanc grapes in several viticultural situations together with grape reaction product (GRP) and the main substrate of polyphenoloxidase, that is, caftaric acid.

Validation of a nanoliquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method for the identification and the accurate quantification by isotopic dilution of glutathionylated and cysteinylated precursors of 3-mercaptohexan-1-ol and 4-mercapto-4-methylpentan-2-one in white grape juices.

A rapid nanoLC-MS/MS method was developed and validated for the simultaneous determination of glutathionylated and cysteinylated precursors of 3-mercapto-hexan-1-ol (3MH) and 4-methyl-4-mercaptopentan-2-one in grape juice using stable isotope dilution assay (SIDA). The analytes were extracted from must using a cation exchange resin and purified on C18 cartridges. They were chromatographically separated on a reverse phase column and finally analyzed by tandem mass spectrometry in selected reaction monitoring mode (SRM) using deuterated analogues as standards except for glutathionylated conjugate of 4MMP which was analyzed by external calibration.

Ability of possible DMS precursors to release DMS during wine aging and in the conditions of heat-alkaline treatment.

The origin of dimethyl sulfide (DMS) produced during wine aging was examined through different assays. The production of DMS during the model aging of a wine and the concomitant decrease of residual potential DMS (PDMS), as DMS released by heat-alkaline treatment in 0.5 M sodium hydroxide at 100 degrees C for 1 h, were demonstrated.

Contribution of dimethyl sulfide to the aroma of Syrah and Grenache Noir wines and estimation of its potential in grapes of these varieties.

The contribution of dimethyl sulfide (DMS) to the aroma of Syrah and Grenache Noir wines from the Rhone Valley of France was investigated by sensory analysis, and its levels in these wines were measured. The potential DMS in the corresponding grapes and wines, susceptible to release during wine aging, was evaluated. Free DMS and potential DMS assessed by a heat-alkaline treatment were measured in grape juices and wines by SPME-GC-MS using methods previously reported and slightly modified.