Renato Brasil

The conventional method for the sensory evaluation of wine is based on visual, olfactory and gustatory perceptions described by a domain-specific language. This is a complex task, requiring extensive training, which is not feasible from a consumer perspective. The objective of this study was to apply a wine tasting sheet, including sensory and emotional responses, to simplify the recognition of fine white wines by consumers. First, a panel of 15 semi-trained judges evaluated eight sensory attributes through Optimized Descriptive Profile (ODP) methodology. Then, a group of 104 consumers evaluated five white wines with different sensory characteristics using an improved emotional wine tasting sheet. The emotions and sensations most frequently associated with white wines were obtained through the Check-All-That-Apply (CATA) approach. The eight sensory attributes were significant (p-value < 0.05) in the distinction of wines by the ODP. Likewise, the distinction of the wines also provided significant differences in all the emotional and sensory attributes (p-value < 0.05). The different wine styles could be distinguished by Principal Component Analysis (PCA) using the semi-trained judges or the consumer responses. The highest score in the “global evaluation” was given to two young, fruity wines characterized by high aromatic “initial impression”. The two fine wines, including a 2004 Burgundy Pouilly-Fuissé, were the lowest rated in “initial impression” and “global evaluation”, although they were considered by the consumers among the most complex and persistent. These wines were also most frequently associated with unpleasant emotions by the CATA test. The recognition of these fine wine attributes and their incongruity with emotional responses can be used in a rapid way by professionals to explain the different wine styles to consumers.

Conventional tasting sheets are widely used to evaluate wine quality in wine tasting competitions. However, the higher scores are mostly obtained by international commercial wines, resulting in lower scores being awarded to the classic European wines. We hypothesize that this is due to the tasting methodology that fails to recognize this wine style. Therefore, the purpose of this work was to show the implementation of a new wine tasting approach to overcome this drawback. The proposed training technique is based on the emotional responses of the taster after smelling two wines of clearly opposite styles. The first wine is characterized by high aromatic intensity but low in-mouth intensity, perceived as disappointing to the taster, here defined as an “easy” wine. The second wine is characterized as a wine with low aromatic intensity but that provides an unexpectedly positive in-mouth experience, here defined as a “difficult” wine. These emotions are explained by the wine sensorial characteristics. The “easy” wine has an intense, simple smell with short persistence while the “difficult” wine has a low intensity, complex aroma, and long persistence. The first style corresponds to the international commercial wines most prized in international wine challenges. The second, frequently rejected by untrained tasters, is consistent with the “so called” classic European wines, and is characterized by light red or yellow straw colors, weak smell intensity, and aggressive mouth-feel. After no more than four training sessions and using the OIV tasting sheet, inexperienced tasters were able to score “difficult” wines equally as “easy” wines and understand their different attributes. In conclusion, this new tasting approach may be used by wine professionals to explain the characteristics of high quality wines that are not easily recognized by untrained consumers.