Sensory properties and aroma compounds of sweet Fiano wine Alessandro Genovese a, * , Angelita Gambuti b , Paola Piombino b , Luigi Moio b a Dipartimento di Scienze degli Alimenti, Universita ` di Foggia, Via Napoli 25, 71100 Foggia, Italy b Dipartimento di Scienza degli Alimenti, Universita ` di Napoli, Via Universita ` 100, 80055 Portici (NA), Italy Received 20 October 2005; received in revised form 13 July 2006; accepted 13 October 2006 Abstract The aroma of sweet Fiano wine, the most representative non-aromatic white wine variety in southern Italy, was evaluated by sensory and instrumental analysis to determine the influence of grape overripeness, drying and Botrytis cinerea infection. Sensory descriptive analysis was used to evaluate the sensory properties of wines. Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS), gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography/olfactometry (GC/O) techniques were used to identify and to determine the content of free and bound volatile compounds and their odour impact. A sensory descriptive analysis had revealed that the sensory descriptors such as citrus jam, dried apricot, dried figs, prune, honey and coconut, occur in sweet Fiano wine more than in base Fiano wine. Thirty five free volatile compounds had higher levels in sweet Fiano wine than in base Fiano wine, these components were mostly terpenes, b-damascenone, lactones, aldehydes and ketones. Moreover higher levels of terpenes, b-damascenone, benzyl alcohol and 2-phenylethanol were found in the bound volatile fraction of sweet Fiano wine. The main odour impact compounds in sweet Fiano wine were nerol, geraniol and linalool (orange flowers), vitispirane (camphor), lactones such as c-nonalactone (coconut), d-decalactone and c-decalactone (apricot) and 1-octen-3-ol (mushroom). These differences appear to be due to the fact that grape overripeness and the drying process allows con- centration of varietal aromatic compounds and an easier transfer of them from skins to must during vinification. Ó 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Keywords: Volatile compounds; Sweet wine; Bound volatile compounds; Terpenes; C-13 norisoprenoids; GC/O 1. Introduction In some grape growing areas in Europe, such as Germany, France, Hungary and Italy, the production of overripe grapes for special (sweet) wines has a long tradition. Riesling and Semillon grapes are the primary cultivars used in the production of these sweet wines from botrytized or non bot- rytized grapes. Other varieties, such as Furmint, Picolit, Gewurztraminer, Chenin blanc and Pinot blanc, are used depending on tradition and adaptation to local conditions. In Italy the main varieties used for this wine style are Malv- asia and Moscato but also local varieties (Corvina, Rondi- nella and Molinara) are used as in the case of the famous Amarone wine. A loss of firmness and a very soft texture, due to the senes- cence or aging of fruit tissues, are the most evident character- istics of overripe fruit. These physical features increase susceptibility to mechanical damage and infection by patho- gens. When the grape is infected by Botrytis cinerea a number of important transformations occur, as well as the loss of water and the release of aroma compounds present in the skin (such as terpenes or C 13 -norisoprenoids and monoter- penes precursors) into the must (Garcia, Chacon, Martinez, & Izquierdo, 2003; Marais, 1992; Park, Morrison, Adams, & Noble, 1991; Razungles, Babic, Bayonove, & Sapis, 1996). Generally, the descriptive terms generated for sweet wines are floral, thyme flower, tropical fruit, passion fruit, mango, citrus, orange peel, apricot, dried apricot, peach, marma- lade, honey and caramel (Croser, 1989). For Zinfandel the main influence of grape overripeness on wines appears to be intensified ethanol aromas, bitterness, viscosity, and black pepper and berry flavours (Noble & Shannon, 1987). 0308-8146/$ - see front matter Ó 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2006.10.027 * Corresponding author. Tel.: +39 0881 589243; fax: +39 0881 740211. E-mail address: a.genovese@unifg.it (A. Genovese). www.elsevier.com/locate/foodchem Food Chemistry 103 (2007) 1228–1236 Food Chemistry