The Training Level of Experts Influences their Detection Thresholds for Key Wine Compounds

Wine experts usually rely on chemical tracers of qualities or defects to judge wines. While part of their expertise is determined by their sensory ability to detect these key compounds, their level of sensitivity is generally unknown. The olfactory detection thresholds for 10 key odorant compounds in wine were, therefore, measured in a large sample of professionals (100 < n < 150). The experts' sensitivity to two tastants, tartaric acid and alum (respectively, sour and astringent compounds) was also tested. The study confirms that distributions of individual detection thresholds were very large (>3 log10 units). Comparing the abilities of the experts to detect the whole sample of chemicals tested, we showed that their sensitivity profiles were very different. Detection threshold distribution asymmetries suggested specific hyposmias or hyperosmias for b-ionone, 2-isobutyl-3-methoxypyrazine, 2,4,6-trichloroanisole, diacetyl, and linalool. Interestingly, we found that academic degrees in tasting and enology do have an impact on odor detection thresholds for two compounds, diacetyl and mixed ethylphenols.