Abstract
The purpose of this paper was to establish the sensory characteristics of wines made from old and newly introduced red grape varieties. To attain this objective, 16 Brazilian red varietal wines were evaluated by a sensory panel of enologists who assessed wines according to their aroma and flavor descriptors. A 90 mm unstructured scale was used to quantify the intensity of 26 descriptors, which were analyzed by means of the Principal Component Analysis (PCA). The PCA showed that three important components represented 74.11% of the total variation. PC 1 discriminated Tempranillo, Marselan and Ruby Cabernet wines, with Tempranillo being characterized by its equilibrium, quality, harmony, persistence and body, as well as by, fruity, spicy and oaky characters. The other two varietals were defined by vegetal, oaky and salty characteristics; PC 2 discriminated Pinot Noir, Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon and Arinarnoa, where Pinot Noir was characterized by its floral flavor; PC 3 discriminated only Malbec, which had weak, floral and fruity characteristics. The other varietal wines did not show important discriminating effects.
Highlights
Introduced by Italian settlers in 1875, grape growing and winemaking are relatively recent activities in the Serra Gaúcha region, in the state of Rio Grande do Sul
Sixteen Brazilian red varietal wines were chosen, all produced by wineries located in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
All wine samples were from the 2007 vintage and participated in the National Wine Evaluation (15th Edition), an annual event promoted by the Brazilian Enology Association (ABE)
Summary
Introduced by Italian settlers in 1875, grape growing and winemaking are relatively recent activities in the Serra Gaúcha region, in the state of Rio Grande do Sul. Today, most of the wine produced in Brazil comes from this state, which cultivates about 35 thousand hectares of vineyards (MELLO; MACHADO, 2008). American/hybrid grapes represent the majority amongst 100 varieties from which common wine and grape juice are made. European grapes account for less than 20% of the total grape production (IBRAVIN, 2010). Producers have focussed on producing a variety of grapes, as in other New World countries. The region still lacks an emblematic red varietal wine like Malbec in Argentina, Shiraz in Australia, Carmenère in Chile and Tannat in Uruguay
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