Abstract
This research focuses on the aromatic composition of Muscat of Alexandria wines after the application of ultrasound for 40 or 80 min during a 4 h pre-fermentative maceration process. Two methods of ultrasound application were compared in this study: probe ultrasound and bath ultrasound, for periods of 10–20 min per hour. Increases of more than 200% were obtained for some of the compounds from the skins, such as two of its terpenes, citronellol and nerol. On the other hand, increases in alcohol and ester values were registered with the application of ultrasound for 40 min. However, a significant decrease in these compounds was recorded when the ultrasound process was extended. In fact, when ultrasound was applied for 80 min, content values were even lower than those registered for the wine produced without the application of ultrasound. At the sensory level, the effect resulting from probe and bath ultrasound application for different times were compared, where most of the judges successfully discriminated the wines resulting from the application of ultrasound bath. According to data, the wines resulting from the application of ultrasound bath for 80 min presented the most significant differences, which affected the aromas of white fruit, tropical fruit, stone fruit, flowers and citrus.
Highlights
In this case, regarding most of the terpenic compounds, it can be observed that all the wines that had been elaborated using ultrasound showed significant differences in relation to the wine that had been elaborated without the application of ultrasound (WU)
It can be seen that the application of ultrasound during the pre-fermentative maceration process favors the release and extraction of volatile compounds in greater amounts compared with a conventional pre-fermentative maceration process where no ultrasound is applied
In the particular case that was studied in this research on the Muscat of Alexandria variety, an evident effect from the application of either ultrasound application technique—probe or bath—could be observed
Summary
Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. The varietal aroma of wine is one of the most sought-after sensory characteristics when elaborating young wines. The aromatic characteristics of wine depend on the starting grape and on the winemaking process. The compounds responsible for aroma are found in both the pulp and the skins, even if they are found at higher levels in the skins [1,2]; a winemaking process that allows the extraction of these compounds, usually during the pre-fermentative stage, should favor the varietal character of the final wine [3]
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