Thesis (MScAgric)--Stellenbosch University, 2013. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Sauvignon blanc wines have become progressively more important in the commercial market.
Extensive research is being done in various countries to gain more understanding about the
aroma compounds found in Sauvignon blanc wines and the interactions between them.
Sauvignon blanc wines often have either have a green or tropical style. The green style is
caused by the methoxypyrazines while the volatile thiols are important contributing compounds
to the tropical style. Various international studies have focussed on measuring the chemical
composition of Sauvignon blanc wines. However, more research is required on South African
Sauvignon blanc wines. Little is known of the volatile thiols content of South African Sauvignon
blanc wines, although the methoxypyrazine content has been extensively reported on. Although
methoxypyrazines and volatile thiols are seen as the most important aroma compounds
contributing to Sauvignon blanc character, other compounds contribute as well. Esters,
monoterpenes and phenols have been found to influence Sauvignon blanc aroma and interact
with the methoxypyrazines and volatile thiols. The complex interaction between the compounds
responsible for the aroma of Sauvignon blanc wines are still not fully understood and further
research is thus needed. The first part of the current study investigated the interaction between
a specific methoxypyrazine and volatile thiol. Five different concentrations of 2-isobutyl-3-
methoxypyrazine (ibMP) and 3-mercaptohexan-1-ol (3MH) were spiked in dearomatize, neutral
Sauvignon blanc wine. The single compounds as well as every possible combination of the
range of concentrations were evaluated using sensory descriptive analysis. It was found using
various statistical approaches that ibMP suppressed the tropical attributes associated with 3MH
and that 3MH suppressed the green attributes that correlated with ibMP. The concentrations at
which the suppression occurred and the degree of suppression was different for each attribute.
The second part of the current study focussed on commercial South African Sauvignon blanc wines. Sensory descriptive analysis and chemical analysis were used to assess the wines and
measure the volatile thiol and methoxypyrazine concentrations. The concentrations of volatile
thiols and methoxypyrazines were found to be in line with international Sauvignon blanc wines.
It was also shown for the first time that the mutually suppressive trend between the volatile
thiols and methoxypyrazines can be seen in commercial Sauvignon blanc wines as well. Future
work is needed to fully understand the complex interaction between the various compounds in
Sauvignon blanc wines. Further research could focus on investigating the mechanism of
interaction between the volatile thiols and methoxypyrazines as well as other aroma
compounds. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Sauvignon blanc-wyne word toenemend belangriker in die kommersiële mark. Omvattende
navorsing word in etlike lande gedoen om meer begrip te ontwikkel van die aromaverbindings
wat in Sauvignon blanc-wyne teenwoordig is, asook van die interaksies tussen hulle. Sauvignon
blanc-wyne het in baie gevalle óf ’n groen óf ’n tropiese styl. Die groen styl word veroorsaak
deur metoksipirasiene, terwyl die vlugtige tiole belangrike bydraende verbindings is wat
aanleiding gee tot die tropiese style. Verskeie internasionale studies het reeds gefokus op die
meet van die chemiese samestelling van Sauvignon blanc-wyne, maar meer navorsing is nodig
oor Suid-Afrikaanse Sauvignon blanc-wyne. Min is bekend oor die inhoud van vlugtige tiole in
Suid-Afrikaanse Sauvignon blanc-wyne, hoewel daar reeds op groot skaal oor die
metoksipirasieninhoud verslag gedoen is. Hoewel metoksipirasiene en vlugtige tiole die
belangrikste aromaverbindings is wat tot Sauvignon blanc-karakter bydra, is daar ook ander
verbindings wat ’n bydrae maak. Esters, monoterpene en fenole het almal ’n invloed op
Sauvignon blanc-aroma en reageer op die metoksipirasiene en vlugtige tiole. Die komplekse
interaksie tussen die verbindings wat vir die aroma van Sauvignon blanc-wyne verantwoordelik
is, word nog nie volledig begryp nie en verdere navorsing is nodig. Die eerste deel van die
huidige studie het die interaksie tussen ’n spesifieke metoksipirasien en vlugtige tiol ondersoek.
Vyf verskillende konsentrasies van 2-isobutiel-3-metoksipirasien (ibMP) en 3-merkaptoheksaan-
1-ool (3MH) is by ontgeurde, neutrale Sauvignon blanc-wyn gevoeg. Die enkel verbindings,
asook elke moontlike kombinasie van die reeks konsentrasies, is deur middel van beskrywende
sensoriese analise geëvalueer. Daar is met behulp van verskillende statistiese benaderings
gevind dat ibMP die tropiese eienskappe wat verband hou met 3MH onderdruk het, terwyl 3MH
die groen eienskappe wat verband hou met ibMP onderdruk het. Die konsentrasies waarteen
die onderdrukking plaasgevind het en die vlak van onderdrukking het vir elke eienskap verskil. Die tweede deel van die studie het gefokus op kommersiële Suid-Afrikaanse Sauvignon blancwyne.
Beskrywende sensoriese analise en chemiese analise is gebruik om die wyne te
assesseer en die konsentrasies van vlugtige tiole en metoksipirasiene te meet. Die
konsentrasies vlugtige tiole en metoksipirasiene was in lyn met dié van internasionale
Sauvignon blanc-wyne. Daar is ook vir die eerste keer gewys dat die wedersyds
onderdrukkende tendens tussen die vlugtige tiole en metoksipirasiene ook in kommersiële
Sauvignon blanc-wyne gevind word. Toekomstige werk sou kon fokus op ’n begrip van die
komplekse interaksie tussen die verskillende verbindings in Sauvignon blanc-wyne. Verdere
navorsing sou ook kon fokus op ’n ondersoek van die meganisme van interaksie tussen die
vlugtige tiole en metoksipirasiene, sowel as ander aromaverbindings. / The South African Wine Industry (Winetech), THRIP and the NRF for financial support
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/80274 |
| Date | 03 1900 |
| Creators | Van Wyngaard, Elizma |
| Contributors | Du Toit, Wessel Johannes, Brand, Jeanne, Stellenbosch University. Faculty of AgriSciences. Dept. of Viticulture and Oenology. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 78 p. : ill. |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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