Discrimination of Wines Produced from Cabernet Sauvignon Grapes Treated with Aqueous Ethanol Post-Bloom Using an Electronic Nose

Wine discrimination and analysis is typically done through chemical analysis and sensory evaluation by a trained panel. Both of these methods are proven to be successful in wine discrimination, but require extensive preparation, time and money. The electronic nose is an objective, rapid-analysis tool that has been used in the food industry for a number of applications. The purpose of this study was to determine if an electronic nose can accurately discriminate between Cabernet Sauvignon (Vitis vinifera L.) wines made from grapes that have received different pre-harvest but post-bloom spray treatments to enhance growth. Aqueous ethanol, which has been shown to impact fruit maturity, was sprayed on the grape clusters at 13 weeks post bloom in different concentrations (control, 5% and 10% v/v). Chemical analysis was able to accurately discriminate between the wines produced from these grapes. Triangle difference testing by a consumer panel was not able to differentiate between the different treatments. The electronic nose data was able to accurately identify the control group and the 5% EtOH treatment 90% of the time. Placement of the 10% EtOH group was only 13% correct. The results show the promising potential for an electronic nose to discriminate between control and treated wine samples.