Descriptive profiling of flavor attributes of white wines from different grape varieties

The aim of the present study was to determine the effect of using different grape varieties on the sensory flavor characteristics of Turkish white wines. 17 commercial white wines from 5 grape varieties (Emir-5, Narince-4, Semillon-4, Muscat-2, Chardonnay-2) of 2001 vintage, obtained from local market were analyzed by quantitative descriptive analysis. Graphical representation of the sensory profiles including aroma and flavor characteristics were provided as spider-web diagrams by plotting the mean values for the sensory descriptors. Least significant differences between wines for each descriptor were calculated by analysis of variance ( ANOVA) using the SPSS program. It was observed that characteristics such as alcohol, sulphur, and raisin were present in the aroma and flavor of all wine varieties, while some characters seemed to be specific for wines produced from certain types of grapes ( grape juice-Emir-1, 2, 3, 4; rose-Muscat-1,2; green plum-Semillon-1, 2; melon-Narince-3; banana- Chardonnay-1; tobacco- Chardonnay-2).