Can wine quality be predicted by small volatile compounds? A study based on performance of wine show entries and their volatile profiles

Abstract

It is widely recognized that wine aroma critically influences wine quality, yet the extent to which volatile compound composition in wine determines wine quality has proven difficult to define, beyond the negative influence of taint compounds. While some relationships between concentration of volatile aroma compounds and wine quality have been made, this has been usually based on single molecules, in laboratory wines and without reference to experienced wine panels. Here, we collected and analysed 157 commercial Shiraz wines from a competitive show over 2 years. We found significant (P