Aroma enhancement of blueberry wine by postharvest partial dehydration of blueberries

Blueberries with 20%, 30%, and 40% weight loss were used for winemaking, aiming to explore the feasibility of applying postharvest dehydration for improving blueberry wine aroma. Postharvest dehydration decreased the titratable acidity of blueberries and their resultant wines. Total anthocyanins and phenols in blueberries with 30% weight loss were increased by 25.9% and 16.1%, respectively, due to concentration effects, while further dehydration resulted in a decline. Similar trends were observed in blueberry wines. Moderate postharvest dehydration increased total terpenes, benzeneacetaldehyde and phenylethyl alcohol, ethyl butanoate, methyl salicylate, 1-hexanol, and & gamma;-nonalactone content in blueberries and wines, which could enhance the floral, fruity, and sweet notes of blueberry wines. Wines made from blueberries under severe dehydration (40% weight loss) had the lowest overall aroma score, which was related to the higher content of 4-ethyl-phenol and 4-ethylguaia-col. In conclusion, moderate postharvest dehydration benefited the aroma enhancement of blueberry wine.

Automated summary

Blueberries with different weight losses were used for winemaking to explore the impact of postharvest dehydration on blueberry wine aroma. Moderate dehydration increased the total anthocyanins and phenols content in blueberries and wines, while severe dehydration resulted in a decline. Moderate dehydration also enhanced the floral, fruity, and sweet notes of blueberry wines, whereas severe dehydration led to a decrease in aroma quality. In conclusion, moderate postharvest dehydration can benefit the aroma enhancement of blueberry wine.