Determining relationships between flavor chemistry and sensory perception in complex mixtures, such as wine, is very difficult. There are hundreds of flavor compounds in wine contributing to sensory perception of aroma. Some compounds act as direct impact compounds, while others may have indirect effects or impact sensory perception through a range of interactions. Methods used to relate chemical composition to sensory perception unfortunately do not take into account the many possible ways in which flavor compounds may contribute to aroma. The vast majority of methods correlate flavor chemicals with sensory perception. Additionally, many methods assume that the greatest chemical differences equate to the greatest sensory differences and it is well known that very small changes in flavor chemistry can have large impacts to sensory perception. Much research has gone into attempting to determine the causes of fruity aromas in red and white wines, as bright fruity aromatics are very desirable to wine consumers. Our work uses various techniques and has resulted in multiple compound combinations that can result in fruity aromas in wine. Validation tests were used to confirm the statistical results. With the discovery of quality compound markers for fruitiness in wines it will be possible to determine how winemaking and viticulturally practices can influence their formation. This is particularly important due to climate changes during the growing season each year and maintaining wine quality is becoming more challenging.
Dr. Elizabeth Tomasino is an Associate Professor of enology at Oregon State University and a core member of the Oregon Wine Research Institute. Elizabeth’s Ph.D. in Oenology was earned from Lincoln University in New Zealand and incorporated components of microbiology, winemaking, sensory science, chemistry, and food science. A Wine Enthusiast’s 2022 Wine Star Awards winner, Tomasino was recognized as an “Innovator of the Year” for her research on grape smoke exposure and smoke taint in wine. She has been involved in research projects for E & J Gallo, Yalumba Winery, Robert Mondavi Winery, Giesen Wine Estates, and Pernod Ricard NZ. Her current research program is at the interface of wine chemistry and sensory. Of particular interest, she links chemical compounds to sensory perception, exploring the many interactions that occur. Tomasino has also developed predictive models for tropical fruit aromas in white wine and continues in her quest to unravel the many issues surrounding winemaking grapes impacted by smoke exposure and the prevalence of smoke taint in wine from smoke-impacted vintages. She is open to new ideas and collaborations and welcomes the chance to discuss and enjoy wine.