Sensory profile characterization and typicality assessment of PDO “Bairrada” and PGI “Beira Atlântico” red wines

Abstract

The distinctive Portuguese wines from Beira Atlântico region, encompassing the protected designation of origin (PDO) Bairrada and the protected geographical indication (PGI) Beira Atlântico, were investigated by a wine expert panel through descriptive analysis and through assessment of typicality. For that 19 trained tasters performed a blind sensory evaluation of 21 representative wines from those designations. The variables considered were the color tonality and color intensity, aroma intensity, 18 aroma descriptors and 14 taste descriptors. Typicality was investigated through a single question, where the assessor was asked to score if the sample is a good or bad example of the type. Of the 21 wines selected, seven were classified as PGI or Regional, eight as PDO and six as “Classico”.Firstly, differences were analyzed between wine types considering all variables followed by clusters analyses confirmation. We could not find any difference between Regional and PDO Bairrada wines in terms of typicality and sensory profile. However the small group of “Classico” wine was clearly identified by the tasters as being more typical, with also significant differences on sensory evaluation. Secondly, centered means analysis (CMA) of the 18 aroma and 14 taste items were performed to identify which of them are considered to be more distinctive. Thirdly, an exploratory factor analyses (EFA) by the principal component method (PCM) was applied to data, allowing identification of five vectors which aggregate the aroma items and four vectors which aggregate taste items. Finally, data collected from a sample of 20 questionnaires from a previous study based on cognitive knowledge and long term memory of 20 wine experts interviewed over the same 18 aroma variables and 14 taste variables, was analyzed under the same principal components (PC) and compared.The 21 wines representatives of PGI Beira Atlântico and PDO Bairrada can be defined as being medium-high intensity, ruby colored wines, having a woody & spice, ripe fruit aroma profile with also herbal and mineral aromas. On taste they tend to have a pronounced component of acidity & astringency, balanced with a smooth & sweet taste component, with a very persistent finish.