SENSORY DESCRIPTIVE ANALYSIS AND CONSUMER ACCEPTABILITY OF GODELLO WINES FROM VALDEORRAS APELLATION ORIGEN CONTROLÉE (NORTHWEST SPAIN) MAR VILANOVA Misión Biológica de Galicia (CSIC) Apdo. de Correos 28 38080 Pontevedra, España Accepted for Publication February 16, 2006 ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to describe and evaluate consumer responses to Godello wines from Valdeorras (Northwest Spain). Twenty Godello wines were evaluated using sensory descriptive analysis. The con- sumers (n = 100) evaluated the aroma of Godello wines and a total of 36 attributes were cited, which were then reduced to 19 after the elimination of hedonic terms and nonpertinent attributes according to statistical methods. Consumers smelled and tasted the different wines and the intensity of each attribute was rated on a 0 to 9-point scale and scored their preferences. Apple, tropical fruit and drying were common sensory attributes among Godello wines. It was observed that there were important differences among consumers for most attributes, except for floral, tropical fruit, aroma intensity, silky, viscosity and fruit flavor. The statistically significant influence of gender on perception and acceptability was observed. The principal component analysis showed that the Godello wines were separated in terms of aroma attributes. Four Godello wines (GWs), GW1, GW2, GW8 and GW9 were the most preferred. INTRODUCTION Godello wine is the most important white-wine variety of the Valdeorras Apellation Origen Controlée (AOC). Valdeorras (AOC) was established by the Regional Government of Galicia (Northwest Spain) in 1977. This AOC is located in eastern Galicia, shaped by the River Sil, which cuts a long east–west corridor between the sierras, sheltering vines planted on the slopes above the towns in the valley. The vineyards border the River Sil where it flows westward Corresponding author: TEL: +34 996854800; FAX: +34 986841362; EMAIL: mvilanova@ mbg.cesga.es Journal of Sensory Studies 21 (2006) 362–372. All Rights Reserved. © 2006, The Author(s) Journal compilation © 2006, Blackwell Publishing 362