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H. B. CHEN, T. E. Acree, and E. H. Lavin. Food Science & Technology, Cornell University, 116 Food Research Laboratory, New York State Agricultural Experiment Station, 14456 Geneva, NY 14456

45 odor-active compounds have been recently isolated in gewürztraminer wine. Ethyl 2-methylbutyrate, ethyl isobutyrate, 3-methylbutanol, 3-hydroxy-4,5-dimethyl-2(5H)-furanone, 3-ethylphenol, cis-rose oxide and wine lactone are among those with high flavor dilution values in the wine. The odor spectrum of gewürztraminer wine extract showed that wine lactone was the most odor potent compound while the presence of cis-rose oxide and other compounds impart a lychee character in gewürztraminer wine. A synthetic gewürztraminer wine model was formulated with the 20 most potent odorants at the concentration levels equal to those in the wine. A descriptive analysis method, combined with an omission (N-1) test was used to generate the flavor profiles of 20 wine models, in which each odorant was omitted one at a time.

Applying descriptive analysis to N-1 omitted samples was used to determine mixture inhibition in a model wine. An attempt was made to classify the odor-active compounds in the wine model based on their function in the mixture as a nominal, congener, or diversifier.

Panelists were screened for specific anosmia/hyperosmia using GC/O of standards. The descriptive analysis method was employed to generate a list of aroma attributes for developing the flavor profiles of the models. GC-olfactometry data was generated from the different mixtures.

The omission of cis-rose oxide diminished the similarity of the model mixture with that of the original gewürztraminer wine. The respective omission of the wine lactone, ethyl octanoate, acetic acid, ethyl hexanoate and 3-hydroxy-4,5-dimethyl-2(5H)-furanone led to a diminishing similarity with the original wine.

The N-1 Omission/descriptive analysis method can be used to determine how humans perceive odors in mixtures and to determine how odor-active compounds interact in natural products. For the wine industry, this method can be used to associate sensory attributes with chemical analytes that are the best markers for sensory character.