Tasting the Italian Terroir through Craft Beer: Quality and Sensory Assessment of Cascade Hops Grown in Central Italy and Derived Monovarietal Beers.

The present study aimed to chemically and sensorially characterize hop samples, cv Cascade, grown in two different Italian regions (Latium and Tuscany) as well as their derived beers by a multi analytical approach. Significant differences in bitter acid, oil and polyphenol content were observed for hop samples according to their origin. Gas chromatography-olfactometry analysis pointed out floral notes for Tuscany samples, where hops from Latium were characterized by spicy and resinous notes, correlated to the presence of sesquiterpenes.

Profiling Individual Differences in Alcoholic Beverage Preference and Consumption: New Insights from a Large-Scale Study.

Alcoholic beverage consumption plays an important role in European culture, and in many contexts drinking alcohol is socially acceptable and considered part of the diet. Understanding the determinants of alcohol preference and consumption is important not only for disease prevention, intervention, and policy management, but also for market segmentation, product development, and optimization. The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of individual responsiveness to various oral sensations on self-reported liking and intake of 14 alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages (including beers, wines, spirits, and cocktails) considering gender, age, and oral responsiveness (measured through response to 6--propyl-2-thiouracil -PROP, basic tastes, astringency, and pungency) in a large sample of Italian consumers.

Organic and biodynamic wines quality and characteristics: A review.

This review collates the scientific literature regarding organic and biodynamic wines. It concerns techniques that allow organic or biodynamic wines to be distinguished from conventional products. Other aspects of the organic wines addressed include the antioxidant capacities and the content of compounds potentially toxic to human health, like metals, such as copper, deriving from treatments in the vineyard, or ochratoxin A and biogenic amines.

Effect of viticulture practices on concentration of polyphenolic compounds and total antioxidant capacity of Southern Italy red wines.

This study aims to assess the effect of three wine grape varieties, three training systems and two bud loads on the Total Antioxidant Capacity (TAC) and polyphenolic composition of Southern Italy red wines produced, during two vintages. Overall, Primitivo, Malvasia nera of Brindisi-Lecce and Montepulciano as grape varieties, single Guyot (SG), single spur pruned low cordon (SLC) and single spur pruned high wire cordon (HSLC) as training systems, 8 and 12 buds/plant as bud loads were compared. Significant differences in the polyphenolic families were shown by the grape varieties and by modifying the vine growing practices.

Effect of the closure type on the evolution of the physical-chemical and sensory characteristics of a Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Rosé wine.

The present work studied the effect of the kind of closure (a screw cap, a natural cork, and 2 synthetic closures) on the evolution of the oxygen content and on the physical-chemical and sensory characteristics of a Montepulciano d'Abruzzo rosé wine during the 1st 12 mo of bottle aging. The chemical analyses concerned the parameters more involved in the oxidative reactions (SO(2) , acetaldehyde, phenols, wine color), as well as the main fermentative volatile compounds. The kind of closure influenced the oxygen content in wines, free and total SO(2) concentration, and wine color (color intensity and hue).