Enhancement Of Cabernet Sauvignon Wine Volatile Profile By Organic Cultivation Confirmed With An Electronic Nose

Abstract

Abstract Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the grape varieties highly suitable for organic cultivation. In the present study, the variety was cultivated in Murfatlar region were both organic and conventional technologies are applied and compared. Also, for each growth system variants with and without 30% cluster thinning were organized. Wines obtained from each variant were compared by the use of an electronic nose. The groups of wines prepared by the same technology were discriminated by the electronic nose in accordance to their volatile profile and on the basis of the discriminating chromatographic peaks determined. The wines produced from grapes conventionally grown were discriminated in two groups by different compounds correlated to the application or not of the cluster thinning operation, while the wines from organic grapes were only slightly separated in groups with or without cluster thinning. However, the wines from organic grapes have shown the highest complexity, as far as the number of discriminant peaks is concerned. Thus, this preliminary study suggests that organic cultivation of grapes may be beneficial for Cabernet Sauvignon wines. The operation of cluster thinning has some effects on the wines made with conventionally grown grapes, but even in this case only 7.6% of the variability in the volatile profile is explained by the cluster thinning. Considering that the grape yield of Cabernet Sauvignon is generally low as compared to other varieties, a further reduction of the grape load may be economically unjustified.