Using Sensory Evaluation and Volatile Analysis to Determine the Enological Potential of Concord Juice Processed by Nanofiltration-Resin

<h3>Abstract</h3> <h3>Background and goals</h3> Most premium wines are produced from grapes of <i>Vitis vinifera</i> parentage. Concord and related <i>Vitis labruscana</i> cultivars are typically considered unacceptable for premium wine production due to the musky aroma of their juice, often described as “foxy”. In this work, we compared the sensory attributes of a wine produced from nanofiltration-resin (NFR)-treated Concord juice to the sensory attributes of a standard Concord wine, a <i>V. vinifera</i> wine, and an NFR:<i>V. vinifera</i> blend. The volatile composition of NFR and Concord wines was evaluated to determine the extent to which the “foxy” character of Concord juice could be lessened with NFR, thus potentially improving the overall consumer liking of its wine. <h3>Methods and key findings</h3> Wine was prepared from NFR-treated Concord juice and evaluated by a trained descriptive sensory panel and by untrained wine consumers alongside a standard Concord wine, a representative <i>V. vinifera</i> wine, and 75:25 blend of <i>V. vinifera</i>:NFR Concord wine. Both trained panelists and untrained consumers reported that the “foxy” character in the NFR Concord wine was significantly lower than that found in a standard Concord wine. Consumers reported an increase in overall liking of the NFR Concord wine over the standard Concord wine. Volatiles (n = 34) in the NFR Concord and standard Concord wine were quantified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Most volatiles were similar between the two wines, with the largest difference observed for methyl anthranilate (“Concord grape” aroma), which was 96% lower in the NFR Concord wine. <h3>Conclusions and significance</h3> Wine produced from NFR Concord juice had labrusca (“foxy”) character only slightly higher than <i>V. vinifera</i> wine. NFR pretreatment may expand winemaking options for Concord juice.