Complementary Effect of Blending on the Volatile Composition of Albariño and Loureira White Wines (Vitis vinifera L.) from NW Spain

Abstract

Albarino and Loureira are very valuables white cultivars from NW Iberian Peninsula (NW Spain and North Portugal). The purpose of the study was to know how blending affects the volatile composition of Albarino and Loureira white wines. Four Vitis vinifera white wines (Albarino, Loureira, Caino Blanco and Godello) were blended at different proportions resulting in four wines, two two-wine blends (83:17 Albarino-Caino Blanco and 50:50 Loureira-Caino Blanco) and two three-wine blends (48:32:20 Albarino-Loureira-Caino Blanco and 35:35:30 Loureira-Caino Blanco-Godello). The blended wines were compared with Albarino and Loureira single-wines. Volatile composition of wines was evaluated by GC-MS to show the changes in aroma compounds of the blends respect to varietal Albarino and Loureira wines. The highest concentration of total volatiles was shown for Loureira and Albarino single-wines. However, blended wines, especially with Loureira, showed an increase of terpenes and C 13 -norisoprenoids concentration. Discriminant analysis (DA) showed C 6 -alcohols and phenol volatiles as the variables that most contributed to the differentiation between Albarino and blended wines, whereas terpenes and C 13 -norisoprenoids were those that contributed to the differentiation Loureira vs blended. To show the sensory influence of volatiles Odour Activity Value (OAV) was calculated, showing the superiority of Loureira single-wines aroma and 50:50 LO-CB blended wines vs Albarino and the other blended wines. The blended wines with high proportion of Loureira supposed wines richer in volatile compounds and increased of complexity aromatic of the wines.