Muscat is not dead: A sensory study of young adults’ olfactory appreciation revealed a marked preference for terpenic dry white wines made from this underrated variety

In a context of declining wine consumption and ageing of wine consumers, white wines may represent an attractive product for engaging and recruiting younger consumers. This study aimed to assess the olfactory preferences of 134 young consumers for four white wines with distinct profiles (thiolic, terpenic, fermentative, and woody) and to identify the consumption contexts related to each wine, thanks to a CATA (Check-All-That-Apply) questionnaire positioned before the liking question. The results showed a clear preference among young adults for the terpenic profile of Muscat wine, despite the variety’s generally undervalued image and commercial challenges. This profile, associated with consumption during summer, at aperitif time and in the company of a partner, was significantly rated higher than fermentative, itself rated higher than thiolic, with woody receiving the lowest score. Surprisingly, the term Muscat was little elicited as a preferred appellation/indication for white wine by panellists who more frequently declared appreciating white wines made from Chardonnay or other cultivars rich in varietal thiols. These findings open a new field of research to understand the perception of the term Muscat by young consumers and provide valuable insights for adapting white wine profiles to younger consumers.