3-Mercaptohexanol: An Aroma Impact Compound of Petite Arvine Wine

Abstract

The characteristic aroma of Petite Arvine, a local white wine specialty prepared from the autochthone grape variety Petite Arvine in Valais, Switzerland, is described as intense in grapefruit and rhubarb flavors. In sensory evaluation by a triangle-test, the impact of thiol compounds on the wine aroma was demonstrated. In gas chromatography-olfactometry and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analyses, 3-mercaptohexanol was identified as one of the key aroma compounds for the wine aroma. The concentration of 3-mercaptohexanol in 11 Petite Arvine wines was in the range between 210 and 6100 ng/L; all values being above the odor threshold value in aqueous ethanol solutions for this compound.