On the effects of higher alcohols on red wine aroma

This work aims to assess the aromatic sensory contribution of the four most relevant wine higher alcohols (isobutanol, isoamyl alcohol, methionol and β-phenylethanol) on red wine aroma. The four alcohols were added at two levels of concentration, within the natural range of occurrence, to eight different wine models (WM), close reconstitutions of red wines differing in levels of fruity (F), woody (W), animal (A) or humidity (H) notes. Samples were submitted to discriminant and descriptive sensory analysis. Results showed that the contribution of methionol and β-phenylethanol to wine aroma was negligible and confirmed the sensory importance of the pair isobutanol-isoamyl alcohol. Sensory effects were only evident in WM containing intense aromas, demonstrating a strong dependence on the aromatic context. Higher alcohols significantly suppress strawberry/lactic/red fruity, coconut/wood/vanilla and humidity/TCA notes, but not the leather/animal/ink note. The spirit/alcoholic/solvent character generated by higher alcohols has been shown to be wine dependent.Funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO) (projects AGL2010-22355 and AGL2014-59840). M.P.S.N. acknowledges the MINECO for her postdoctoral fellowship (Formación Posdoctoral 2013). LAAE acknowledges the continuous support of Diputación General de Aragón (T53) and European Social Fund.Peer Reviewe