Wine Experts Research Articles

What wine descriptors really mean A comparison between dictionary definitions and real use

ABSTRACT The language of tasting notes is not always precise, since it is used to express sensations that can be very subjective. Wine tasters use descriptors to express what they see, smell and taste in a wine, but these common terms are often used even by wine experts with what has been termed as a blithe lack of precision. Hence, wine blogs and wine magazines often include wine glossaries that cover, among other wine vocabulary, wine tasting descriptors. These dictionaries and glossaries often result in problems of term selection and term definition. The purpose of this paper is to compare the specialised glossary or dictionary definitions of a limited number of descriptors with their actual use in wine tasting notes and come up with definitions which are a closer match to the descriptors as they are really used.

A multi-sensory and embodied understanding of wine consumption

ABSTRACT This study investigates the multi-sensory responses experienced by consumers in consuming and evaluating wine, and further identifies the differences in wine consumption experiences by novice wine consumers versus those of wine experts. How those experiences are shaped by consumer levels of knowledge regarding wine, and are defined by emotion, memory, and responses to the aesthetic experience of wine consumption, are identified via a multi-year ethnographic study. Through interviews, observations, and wine tastings with novices and experts, the authors examine the role of embodiment in wine consumption, whose impact is lacking in extant literature. Embodiment processes in wine consumption can be understood at the conscious level using Merleau-Ponty’s [(1962). The phenomenology of perception (C. Smith, Trans.). Kegan Paul] concept of perception and virtual enactments. At the unconscious level, as the authors report, consumers and wineries alike use conceptual metaphors and conceptual blending to understand the wine consumption process. This research contributes to a deeper understanding of embodiment processes through the application of Merleau-Ponty’s theory of perceptions/virtual enactments, as well as through metaphor and conceptual integration analysis.

Exploring the Typicality, Sensory Space, and Chemical Composition of Swedish Solaris Wines.

The Swedish wine industry has exponentially grown in the last decade. However, Swedish wines remain largely unknown internationally. In this study, the typicality and sensory space of a set of twelve wines, including five Swedish Solaris wines, was evaluated blind by Swedish wine experts. The aim of the work was to evaluate whether the Swedish wine experts have a common concept of what a typical Solaris wines should smell and taste like or not and, also, to bring out more information about the sensory space and chemical composition of Solaris wines. The results showed a lack of agreement among the wine experts regarding the typicality of Solaris wines. This, together with the results from the sensory evaluation, could suggest the possibility of different wine styles for Solaris wines. From a chemical perspective, the global volatile profile showed a larger variability between individual wines than between Solaris and non-Solaris. However, 4MMP, ethyl propionate, ethyl 2-Methyl propanoate, and diethyl succinate were significantly higher in Solaris wines. Concerning non-volatile compounds, the results showed a significant discrimination between Solaris and non-Solaris wines, the former being characterized by higher ethanol %, Mg, succinic acid, tartaric acid, and sucrose levels.

Evaluation of the Intrinsic and Perceived Quality of Sangiovese Wines from California and Italy.

Sangiovese is the most cultivated red grape variety in Italy where it is certified for the production of several Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) wines, and it is one of the most cultivated Italian red grape varieties in California. Despite the global distribution of this variety, there is a lack of international studies on Sangiovese grapes and wines. For this reason, the present study aimed to compare 20 commercial Sangiovese wines from 2017 harvest, 9 produced in Italy (Tuscany) and 11 in California, in order to evaluate the intrinsic and perceived quality. The eligibility, identity, and style properties (the intrinsic quality) of the wines were evaluated. A group of 11 Italian experts evaluated the perceived quality by rating the typicality of the wines. The experimental data showed that the intrinsic quality of Sangiovese wine samples was affected by the growing area; in particular, the wine resulted very different for the color indices and polyphenol composition. The above differences in intrinsic quality levels did not lead to a different evaluation of the perceived quality (typicality) by the wine experts. The results evidenced that Sangiovese variety is recognizable also if grown outside its original terroir, and fresh and fruity wines were considered more typical. This study expands our current knowledge of Sangiovese wines and the contribution of regional characteristics to the composition of wine.

Identity markers for wine producers: terroir and beyond

ABSTRACT The article investigates how wineries have used different markers as an effort to differentiate themselves from other producers and support their self-identity. The most dominant markers perceived by the respondents are tied to different forms of regional/geographical markers, such as terroir including the AOC, and organic production. They stress the vine and agricultural aspects of winemaking. In addition, some markers also include special wine, such as old vine as a special aspect of identity as quality producers. The empirical basis is 23 face-to-face in-depth qualitative semi-structured interviews with owners and winemakers in wineries in New South Wales, Australia, Provence, France and by the river Duero, Spain; and two wine experts in Australia and in Spain. The analytical perspective includes the notion of boundary objects, and the role of technological actors in an Actor-Network theoretical approach. We also make use of the framework of small business identity as production oriented. The main conclusion of the paper is that wine producers in the market of quality wine tie their efforts to differentiate their quality wine to their identity work.

Chemical description and organoleptic evaluation of Pinot noir wines from different parts of Italy: a three year investigation

Aim: this work gives a chemical description and sensory evaluation of several Pinot noir wines from different parts of Italy. For three subsequent years (2016-2018) the wine samples were submitted for in an Italian annual national Pinot noir competition aiming to define the best Pinot noir red wine from Italy. All of the wine samples were 3-years old (from vinification) at the moment they were analysed and evaluated; they were also registered for the competition the same year they were put on the market.Methods and results: all the wines were evaluated by a tasting panel composed of oenologists and wine experts, using the overall sensory quality as the descriptor. For the chemical screening, standard oenological chemical parameters (total acidity, colour, alcohol degree, total phenolic content, tannin indexes, etc.) and the content of the most abundant phenolic molecules by means of LC-MS analysis (triple quadrupole with internal standards) were determined. Pinot noir red wines produced from different parts of Italy showed a high variability for most standard wine chemical parameters considered, while the content of most single phenolic constituents was more retained and consistent with data from literature; except for t-resveratrol, which was significantly higher in our analyses, and delphinidin-3-glucoside, which was lower. Moreover, changes regarding the corresponding wines from the three vintages were noted. A correlation between the chemical parameters and the tasting panel results was also attempted. The results from a statistical analysis confirmed that alcoholic content, malvidin-3-glucoside and total anthocyanins had the highest positive impact on quality scores, while gallic acid, color tonality and total phenolic content had the highest negative.Conclusions: our results indicate that most wine producers have a conservative attitude with very slight differences found in the corresponding wines over the three years of investigation. The strong effects of agronomical, winemaking and ageing processes on chemical and sensorial features of Pinot noir red wines from Italy were also clearly shown. Compared to other monovarietal Pinot noir red wines from the same temperate area, single polyphenol content tended to be more retained than most standard chemical parameters.Significance and impact of the study: an overall quality assessment of a monovarietal wine, with its typicity as the main goal of a sensorial investigation, appears to be different from an objective quality assessment carried out by trained professional personnel using single standardised descriptors. Positive and negative correlations exist between sensorial judgement and chemical parameters, and the multiple linear regression model revealed relationships between the wine score and the set of the most important wine score description parameters.

Chemical description and organoleptic evaluation of Pinot noir wines from different parts of Italy: a three year investigation

Aim: this work gives a chemical description and sensory evaluation of several Pinot noir wines from different parts of Italy. For three subsequent years (2016-2018) the wine samples were submitted for in an Italian annual national Pinot noir competition aiming to define the best Pinot noir red wine from Italy. All of the wine samples were 3-years old (from vinification) at the moment they were analysed and evaluated; they were also registered for the competition the same year they were put on the market.Methods and results: all the wines were evaluated by a tasting panel composed of oenologists and wine experts, using the overall sensory quality as the descriptor. For the chemical screening, standard oenological chemical parameters (total acidity, colour, alcohol degree, total phenolic content, tannin indexes, etc.) and the content of the most abundant phenolic molecules by means of LC-MS analysis (triple quadrupole with internal standards) were determined. Pinot noir red wines produced from different parts of Italy showed a high variability for most standard wine chemical parameters considered, while the content of most single phenolic constituents was more retained and consistent with data from literature; except for t-resveratrol, which was significantly higher in our analyses, and delphinidin-3-glucoside, which was lower. Moreover, changes regarding the corresponding wines from the three vintages were noted. A correlation between the chemical parameters and the tasting panel results was also attempted. The results from a statistical analysis confirmed that alcoholic content, malvidin-3-glucoside and total anthocyanins had the highest positive impact on quality scores, while gallic acid, color tonality and total phenolic content had the highest negative.Conclusions: our results indicate that most wine producers have a conservative attitude with very slight differences found in the corresponding wines over the three years of investigation. The strong effects of agronomical, winemaking and ageing processes on chemical and sensorial features of Pinot noir red wines from Italy were also clearly shown. Compared to other monovarietal Pinot noir red wines from the same temperate area, single polyphenol content tended to be more retained than most standard chemical parameters.Significance and impact of the study: an overall quality assessment of a monovarietal wine, with its typicity as the main goal of a sensorial investigation, appears to be different from an objective quality assessment carried out by trained professional personnel using single standardised descriptors. Positive and negative correlations exist between sensorial judgement and chemical parameters, and the multiple linear regression model revealed relationships between the wine score and the set of the most important wine score description parameters.

Sensory profiling and quality assessment of wines derived from Graciano × Tempranillo selections

Wine production is a dynamic process that must be adapted to changes such as global warming and new consumer interests. Obtaining new cultivars by hybridization of traditional varieties is a promising approach with great potential to produce wines that are able to preserve regional typicity, together with adaptability to both evolving market preferences and distinct environmental scenarios.In this research, wines from twelve Graciano × Tempranillo selections were analyzed in two consecutive years. Sensory properties and quality were evaluated by a trained panel and a group of wine experts, respectively. Quality was positively correlated with anthocyanin and phenolic content (r = 0.8, r = 0.7, p < 0.01, respectively). Wines presented high sensory variability differing in eight attributes in each vintage. Two high quality selections, TG8 and TG63 consistently improved Tempranillo and Graciano specimens, presenting high color intensity, acidity, and positive aroma related to red fruit. Furthermore, TG129 a late-ripening genotype with high polyphenol content and fruity aroma, and other selections with roasted or dried fruit aroma notes appear as potential cultivars suitable to satisfy distinct consumer demands in the context of global warming.

Influence of expertise on semantic categorization of wine odors

Aromatic characterization is a key element of enhancing one’s knowledge of wine. While several studies have investigated the importance of wine expertise in the ability to perform odor-related sensory tasks, little attention has been paid to the influence of expertise on the semantic categorization of wine odors. To bridge this gap, this study aimed to explore the influence of a subject’s expertise on the semantic representation of wine odors by means of a free sorting task. For this purpose, 156 subjects were recruited. Their level of expertise was measured using a questionnaire and the data analysis revealed four clusters of subjects with a gradual level of expertise. Subjects also performed a sorting task on 96 odor terms. From the number and the size of odor groups formed, as well as the additive tree representation and the consensus partition between the terms for each expertise level, we observed that all subjects, regardless of their experience, had largely the same semantic categorization of wine-odor attributes, which was mainly shaped by the sources of the odorants. It appeared that level of wine expertise played a minor role in creating the semantic representation of wine odors, affecting mainly the knowledge of specialized terms.

Effect of aroma perception on taste and mouthfeel dimensions of red wines: Correlation of sensory and chemical measurements.

The present study was aimed at increasing the understanding of red wine mouthfeel by investigating the potential cross-modal effect of aroma and establishing relationships between sensory dimensions and chemical measurements. Investigations involved a set of 42 non-wooded red wines that were described with a novel application of a variant of the rate-all-that-apply sensory methodology ("rate-K attributes") by a group of Spanish wine experts under two conditions: (1) with no aroma perception (using nose clips) and (2) with aroma perception. In parallel, ethanol content, pH, titratable acidity, tannin activity, concentration of tannins, and spectroscopic measures of wines were determined. Results suggest that aroma does not play a main effect on taste or mouthfeel perception of red wines, except for oily mouthfeel, which was hypothesised to be masked by earthy aromas and enhanced by alcoholic nuances attributed to cognitive interactions. Independent and non-correlated mouthfeel dimensions such as dry/silky and sticky, grainy, prickly or oily were also identified. Tannin activity was shown to be highly positively correlated to dry on the palate, and tannin concentration with both overall dry and dry on the palate. A significant partial least squares regression model showed that tannin concentration and activity (positive contribution) as well as pH values (negative) were good predictors of the mouthfeel dimension mainly related to dry and sticky terms.

Natural wine: do consumers know what it is, and how natural it really is?

Abstract Natural wine is a small but rapidly growing sector within the wine industry. Expertise in the field has been advanced by wine experts and professionals, while publications to aid in further understanding the topic lag behind. This manuscript highlights the need to develop more rigorous methodologies to better understand the market segment of natural wine, its consumers, and their composition and behaviour. Moreover, it calls for a deeper theoretical engagement with the notion of natural wine, which positions it among other sustainable and ecological certifications, including organic, biodynamic or sulphite-free. This would allow researchers to advance from the current state of knowledge, which continues to limit our ‘practical’ capacity for advice to policy makers but not to winemakers and marketers. These theoretical and methodological developments would allow scholars to catch up with debates being held by different social actors in the natural wine scene, including winemakers’ and consumer associations, bloggers, writers and professional marketers.

An investigation of the Pivot© Profile sensory analysis method using wine experts: Comparison with descriptive analysis and results from two expert panels

The performance of the recently developed rapid sensory descriptive method Pivot© Profile (PP) was assessed with a set of 17 Shiraz/Syrah red wines using a group of 49 sommeliers and 11 winemakers. The PP results were compared to results from descriptive analysis (DA) performed by a trained panel. The PP from the two groups of experts gave similar sample configurations, although the terms used differed, with one notable difference being less detailed information on wine colour provided by the sommeliers. The data showed that the PP results from the two panels were also closely equivalent to that obtained from descriptive analysis, with similar sample space configurations, relatively high RV coefficient values and comparable attributes discriminating the samples. PP allowed interpretation of complex terms used by the two groups of experts, and gave insight into the major sensory differences discriminating the wines. DA provided better information regarding attributes that differed more subtly among the sample set, including bitterness. This study demonstrated for the first time that PP and DA provide similar insights into the sensory properties of products, and confirmed that PP with expert panellists allows a rapid understanding of the main sensory differences among samples, with some advantages over DA in obtaining a more holistic overview of each sample.

Generational differences in risk perception and situational uses of wine information sources

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine generational differences in consumer Web 2.0 information source adoption for wine purchasing decisions, particularly social media and internet-based sources. Design/methodology/approach An online survey resulted in 276 responses from wine consumers residing in Texas, USA. Information source usage was tested in two common purchasing situations: for casual and formal consumption. Chi-square analyses and ANOVA were used to examine differences among the generational cohorts in their use of information sources, levels of objective and subjective wine knowledge, wine involvement and risk perception for the two purchasing situations. Findings Younger consumers were found to be significantly more inclined to use Web 2.0 information sources, such as wine blogs, wine applications, their contacts’ recommendations on social media and wine experts on social media. Older consumers were more likely to use their own wine knowledge. Of greater interest is that in terms of their reliance on various wine information sources, Generation X behaves as the bridge between Generation Y and Baby Boomers. Generational differences regarding wine involvement, wine knowledge and risk perception also support this notion. Practical implications The results of this study reinforce the need for wineries to adopt or create strategic initiatives using Web 2.0 elements. This study also suggests that depending on the purchasing context, consumers use certain information sources more than others. Originality/value This research extends the understanding of the information acquisition process by expanding the types of information sources, and also yields valuable insights for consumers’ off-premise wine purchasing decisions.

Uncovering the language of wine experts

AbstractTalking about odors and flavors is difficult for most people, yet experts appear to be able to convey critical information about wines in their reviews. This seems to be a contradiction, and wine expert descriptions are frequently received with criticism. Here, we propose a method for probing the language of wine reviews, and thus offer a means to enhance current vocabularies, and as a by-product question the general assumption that wine reviews are gibberish. By means of two different quantitative analyses—support vector machines for classification and Termhood analysis—on a corpus of online wine reviews, we tested whether wine reviews are written in a consistent manner, and thus may be considered informative; and whether reviews feature domain-specific language. First, a classification paradigm was trained on wine reviews from one set of authors for which the color, grape variety, and origin of a wine were known, and subsequently tested on data from a new author. This analysis revealed that, regardless of individual differences in vocabulary preferences, color and grape variety were predicted with high accuracy. Second, using Termhood as a measure of how words are used in wine reviews in a domain-specific manner compared to other genres in English, a list of 146 wine-specific terms was uncovered. These words were compared to existing lists of wine vocabulary that are currently used to train experts. Some overlap was observed, but there were also gaps revealed in the extant lists, suggesting these lists could be improved by our automatic analysis.

Drinking through rosé-coloured glasses: Influence of wine colour on the perception of aroma and flavour in wine experts and novices.

Wine colour carries a myriad of meanings regarding the provenance and expected sensory qualities of a wine. That meaning is presumably learnt through association, and part of a wine taster's skill comes from being able to decode information that can be discerned in subtle variations in the colour of the wine that they drink/evaluate. However, reliance on colour means that wine tasters, especially experts, often exhibit colour-induced olfactory biases. The present study assesses how wine colour - specifically the pink hue of rosé wines - can influence both the perceived aroma and flavour in a large sample of wine novices and experts. Participants (N = 168) tasted three wines - a white wine (W), a rosé wine (R), and the white wine dyed to match the rosé (Ŕ) - and freely selected three aroma and three flavour descriptors from a list. They also rated wine liking, flavour intensity, and description difficulty for each wine. Linguistic analysis demonstrated that those with wine tasting experience judged Ŕ to be much more similar to R than to W, even though Ŕ and W were the same. Moreover, red fruit descriptors were attributed to both R and Ŕ, especially in terms of flavour. Quantitative ratings revealed that Ŕ was liked less than W or R, and participants found it more difficult to describe Ŕ than R. These results demonstrate that while participants found the dyed rosé somehow different from the undyed wines, they nevertheless used the red fruit terms to describe its aroma and flavour. The implications of such results in terms of cognitive representations of wine and the role of sensory expectations are discussed.

Oxidation in wine: Does expertise influence the perception?

Wines can develop off-odours that depreciate their quality. Among them, oxidation is one of the most prevalent. The main objective of this work was to study the perception of wine oxidation through the categorization of oxidized wines perceived as not-faulty/faulty depending on the expertise of participants. For this purpose, one white wine and one red wine were spiked with three volatile oxidation compounds (acetaldehyde, phenylacetaldehyde and methional) in order to recreate twelve levels of oxidation in a controlled way. Samples were submitted to orthonasal tasting for being categorized by wine experts and novices and coupled to a free description task. Results demonstrated that experts were significantly more consensual to categorize oxidized wines than novices. However, the difference between the two groups was not of great magnitude. To find an explanation, a posteriori individual data treatment was carried out. This analysis highlighted five particular behaviours as a function of the samples’ oxidation level, irrespective of the level of expertise. Results also highlighted that for the experts, the frontier between the two categories (not-faulty/faulty) was significantly clearer for the white wine than for the red wine. This same tendency was also observed for the novices.

Perceptual learning in the chemical senses: A review.

People have been writing about perceptual learning and expertise in the chemical senses for more than a century now, with a particular focus on the world of wine. However, the problem with many of the cross-sectional studies of wine expertise that have been published to date is that they simply cannot rule out the possibility that those with superior chemosensory abilities end-up gravitating toward a career in wine. Definitions of expertise also tend to vary widely between studies, making direct comparison of the results obtained rather difficult. By contrast, the longitudinal learning studies that have been published have typically only assessed the effects of relatively small amounts of training. And, taken as a whole, the majority of studies in this area tend to look statistically underpowered nowadays in terms of the sample sizes that have been used. Nevertheless, despite these limitations, the literature converges on the conclusion that chemosensory perceptual learning does occur, though the gains (e.g., in terms of lower detection thresholds) are usually modest at best, and tend to be highly stimulus-specific. By contrast, cognitive/semantic improvements in describing/discriminating wines, and wine-relevant compounds, as well as the acquisition of relevant conceptual knowledge, are much more salient differentiators in the cross-sectional empirical literature. Enhanced attention and olfactory recognition memory abilities have also been reported amongst wine experts. Looking to the future, the hope is that the insights garnered from studies of perceptual learning in the higher spatial senses may help to optimize the training regimes for those wishing to enhance their wine-tasting abilities, and perhaps also aid recovery in those suffering from olfactory loss.

Third-party ratings and the US wine market

PurposeThis paper aims to provide insight into the three most prevalent expert wine rater sources and how they separately affect retail prices post-release across a sample of French and US wines from the 2012 vintage.Design/methodology/approachEmpirical research using regression models built on data scraped from Web sources provides the source for the substance of the paper.FindingsThe findings suggest that all rating sources affect release price (approximately $3-4 per point), but more indicative of market performance, only Wine Advocate ratings significantly influence price change in the market post-release. Other results suggest some, but far from complete, consistency among raters. Red wines and French wines typically fetch better scores from the raters, and they are less subject to price drops in the marketplace.Research limitations/implicationsThe nature of the data does not allow for consumers’ individual difference characteristics, such as wine knowledge, among others, to be included as potential factors explaining why and when expert ratings influence consumers.Practical implicationsThird-party wine ratings do indeed matter both in terms of release price and post-release price performance. In particular, following release, Wine Advocate ratings provide the most influential quality signal in the marketplace.Social implicationsScrutiny on the manner in which ratings information is used by retailers is appropriate, given the influence such ratings have on consumers as demonstrated by their effects on market behaviors.Originality/valueThe research examines the top three US expert ratings and considers their consistency and impact, not just on release price but also on price following release, as a direct indicator of product performance in the marketplace.

Impact of learning and training on wine expertise: a review

Experts are able to conduct both analytical and holistic tasks involved in evaluating wine quality. Although there is no standard for wine-tasting training, a number of papers have reported on experts’ ability to discriminate among and categorize wines, highlighting a process involving perceptual clues and cognitive processing. This review focuses on the influence of different training tasks on tasting and olfactory abilities. Moreover, recent researches in psychophysics and neurosciences demonstrated the potential functionality of mental imagery. The ability to create mental images may play an important role in discrimination and categorization, but is dependent on preliminary perceptual, attentional, and semantic training.

Iranian Herbalists, But Not Cooks, Are Better at Naming Odors Than Laypeople.

Odor naming is enhanced in communities where communication about odors is a central part of daily life (e.g., wine experts, flavorists, and some hunter-gatherer groups). In this study, we investigated how expert knowledge and daily experience affect the ability to name odors in a group of experts that has not previously been investigated in this context-Iranian herbalists; also called attars-as well as cooks and laypeople. We assessed naming accuracy and consistency for 16 herb and spice odors, collected judgments of odor perception, and evaluated participants' odor meta-awareness. Participants' responses were overall more consistent and accurate for more frequent and familiar odors. Moreover, attars were more accurate than both cooks and laypeople at naming odors, although cooks did not perform significantly better than laypeople. Attars' perceptual ratings of odors and their overall odor meta-awareness suggest they are also more attuned to odors than the other two groups. To conclude, Iranian attars-but not cooks-are better odor namers than laypeople. They also have greater meta-awareness and differential perceptual responses to odors. These findings further highlight the critical role that expertise and type of experience have on olfactory functions.