Kinetics of aroma formation from grape-derived precursors: Temperature effects and predictive potential

This study investigates the accumulation and degradation of aroma molecules released by acid hydrolysis of aroma precursors in winemaking grapes. A first-order kinetics model effectively interprets this accumulation, including subsequent degradation. Experimentation at three temperatures categorizes specific grape-derived aroma molecules into three stability-based groups: labile molecules from labile precursors, stable molecules from labile precursors, and stable molecules from stable precursors. While many grape-derived aromas exhibit similar patterns and levels of accumulation across temperatures, reaction rates significantly increase with temperature. The analysis of 12 samples of two grape varieties hydrolyzed at 50 degrees C for 5 weeks and 75 degrees C for 24 h confirms that fast hydrolysis accurately replicates varietal and between-sample aroma compositional differences. Moreover, the accumulated levels of 21 relevant grape-derived aromas strongly correlate with those at 50 degrees C, indicating that fast hydrolysis at 75 degrees C reliably predicts grape aroma potential.

Automated summary

This study investigates the accumulation and degradation of aroma molecules released by acid hydrolysis of aroma precursors in winemaking grapes. The analysis shows that fast hydrolysis at higher temperatures accurately predicts grape aroma potential.