Characterisation and classification of Spanish Verdejo young white wines by volatile and sensory analysis with chemometric tools

Abstract

Abstract BACKGROUND: Nowadays, Verdejo young wine is exported to many countries all over the world, so it is considered one of the most important Spanish white young wines. In spite of its commercial and historical repercussions, little information is available about the aromatic profile of Spanish Verdejo young wine. The aim of our study was to give further information about this aspect, focusing our research on the characterisation and classification of Verdejo young wine. RESULTS: Aroma of the Verdejo, Sauvignon blanc and barrel‐fermented and barrel‐aged Verdejo wines—all from the D.O. Rueda, Spain—was evaluated using gas chromatographic and sensory analyses. A good relationship was found between the chemical composition and some of the sensory attributes of the wines. The wine samples were correctly classified according to their grape variety and oenological practice showing a 100% of correct classification using chemical or sensory data. CONCLUSIONS: Characterisation and differentiation of Spanish Verdejo wines was achieved, for the first time, showing different groups of Verdejo wines with similar volatile composition and sensory profiles. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry