Potential grape-derived contributions to volatile ester concentrations in wine.
Grape composition affects wine flavour and aroma not only through varietal compounds, but also by influencing the production of volatile compounds by yeast. C9 and C12 compounds that potentially influence ethyl ester synthesis during fermentation were studied using a model grape juice medium. It was shown that the addition of free fatty acids, their methyl esters or acyl-carnitine and acyl-amino acid conjugates can increase ethyl ester production in fermentations. The stimulation of ethyl ester production above that of the control was apparent when lower concentrations of the C9 compounds were added to the model musts compared to the C12 compounds. Four amino acids, which are involved in CoA biosynthesis, were also added to model grape juice medium in the absence of pantothenate to test their ability to influence ethyl and acetate ester production. β-Alanine was the only one shown to increase the production of ethyl esters, free fatty acids and acetate esters. The addition of 1 mg∙L(-1) β-alanine was enough to stimulate production of these compounds and addition of up to 100 mg∙L(-1) β-alanine had no greater effect. The endogenous concentrations of β-alanine in fifty Cabernet Sauvignon grape samples exceeded the 1 mg∙L(-1) required for the stimulatory effect on ethyl and acetate ester production observed in this study.
CSIRO Agriculture Flagship, PMB 2, Glen Osmond, SA 5064, Australia. paul.boss@csiro.au.
Paul K
PK
Boss
School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, Waite Research Institute, The University of Adelaide, PMB 1, Glen Osmond, SA 5064, Australia. a_pearce@post.com.|South Australian Research and Development Institute, GPO Box 397, Adelaide, SA 5001, Australia. a_pearce@post.com.
Anthony D
AD
Pearce
School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, Waite Research Institute, The University of Adelaide, PMB 1, Glen Osmond, SA 5064, Australia. yanjia.zhao@student.adelaide.edu.au.
Yanjia
Y
Zhao
CSIRO Agriculture Flagship, PMB 2, Glen Osmond, SA 5064, Australia. emily.nicholson@csiro.au.
Emily L
EL
Nicholson
CSIRO Agriculture Flagship, PMB 2, Glen Osmond, SA 5064, Australia. eric.dennis@ubc.ca.|Department of Chemistry, The University of British Columbia, Okanagan Campus, 3333 University Way, Kelowna, BC V1V 1V7, Canada. eric.dennis@ubc.ca.
Eric G
EG
Dennis
School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, Waite Research Institute, The University of Adelaide, PMB 1, Glen Osmond, SA 5064, Australia. david.jeffery@adelaide.edu.au.
David W
DW
Jeffery
D000085:Acetates / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D000596:Amino Acids / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D004952:Esters / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D005230:Fatty Acids, Nonesterified / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D005285:Fermentation / Q000502:physiology; D005421:Flavoring Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D027843:Vitis / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*; D055549:Volatile Organic Compounds / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D014920:Wine / Q000032:analysis*; D015091:beta-Alanine / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism
D000085:Acetates; D000596:Amino Acids; D004952:Esters; D005230:Fatty Acids, Nonesterified; D005421:Flavoring Agents; D055549:Volatile Organic Compounds; D015091:beta-Alanine