The aroma compounds present in wine or distilled spirits, respectively, are either supplied by the raw materials or are generated during the manufacturing process by either a biochemical or chemical conversions of odorless precursors. Thus, the raw materials as well as the manufacturing process have a distinct influence on the aroma compounds present in the final products. The key steps in red wine production are pre-fermentation of the grape juice, yeast fermentation of the must and aging/storage of the fermented must. Contrary, in the production of wine brandy, the fermented must is distilled before ageing. Similar processes are also used in whisky production, but using cereal grains instead of grapes.In the first part of the lecture, the key odorants in a juice prepared from Dornfelder grapes, in the must as well as in the young and aged wine from the same vintage were characterized by means of the sensomics approach to get insights into changes of single key aroma compounds on the way �from grapes to wine�. The results obtained were compared to those obtained for wine brandies as well as for a Bourbon whisky. The quantitative changes will be discussed with special emphasis on the generation of beta-damascenone along the manufacturing processes.

Influence of processing on changes in the key aroma compounds of red wine, wine brandies, and whisky

243rd National Meeting (2012)

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