Sangiovese is the most widespread Italian red cultivar and it constitutes the basis of internationally known wines such as Chianti, Brunello di Montalcino and Nobile di Montepulciano. Outside of Europe the United States is the second largest producer. Regionality, frequently called terroir, is often used as a way to market wines from different locations. For this reason, this study sought to define and compare Sangiovese wine composition from various regions in California and Italy. Fifty-one commercial wines, 100% Sangiovese (20 from Italy and 31 from California), were analyzed for volatile aroma profiles, color, and phenolic content. The volatile and phenolic profiles of the wines separated the regions from one another. In particular, the Italian wines were richer in C13-norisoprenoids (Riesling acetal, TDN, and vitispirane), sesquiterpenes (beta-farnesene), and polyphenols; the Californian wines were richer in esters such as isoamylacetate, diethylsuccinate and also the C13-norisoprenoid, beta-damascenone. However, some Californian and Italian wine samples had very similar chemical compositions, possibly reflecting similar winemaking styles. This study demonstrates that for commercial fermentations, it is possible to determine regional differences among wines based on chemical profiles. To our knowledge, this is the first time that an extensive regionality study has been attempted for Sangiovese wines.

Regional chemical characteristics of Sangiovese wines from Italy and California

254th National Meeting (2017)

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