2-Methyl-3-(methyldithio)furan: A new odorant identified in different monovarietal red wines from the Canary Islands and aromatic profile of these wines

The aroma of five monovarietal red wines from the Canary Islands, Spain (Negramoll, Listan negro, Tintilla, Vijariego negro, and Baboso negro) was studied by sensory analysis, quantitative gas chromatography-olfactometry (GC-O), and quantitative chemical analysis. GC-O and multidimensional gas chromatography (MDGC) successfully identified in wine for the first time the potent aroma 2-methyl-3-(methyldithio)furan. We calculated the odour thresholds of this compound (< 1 ng L-1) and assessed it semiquantitatively in the study wines. From the sensory point of view four descriptors (dried fruit, animal, toasty, and herbaceous) differed significantly between these varieties of wines. In GC-O, on extracts obtained by a dynamic head-space technique, significant differences were found in the intensity scores of beta-damascenone, octanal, 2-methoxyphenol, ethyl cinnamate, ethyl 4-methylpentanoate, furfural, 2,3-pentadione, and 3-isopropyl-2-methoxypyrazine. Some of these compounds were detected as important odorants in only one varietal. (c) 2008 Published by Elsevier Inc.