Adapting to climate change is crucial for Australian viticulture, with a shift towards drought-tolerant grape varieties being a potential strategy. This study explored the sensory and volatile profiles of three emerging red grape varieties – Montepulciano, Nero d’Avola, and Touriga Nacional – grown in Australia, comparing them to traditional varieties (Cabernet-Sauvignon, Grenache, and Shiraz). Thirty-six trained tasters used Rate-All-That-Apply (RATA) to assess 35 wines, and GC-MS analysis determined the volatile composition of the wines. Seventeen out of 35 targeted volatiles were revealed odour-active across all varieties. However, linalool, associated with floral notes, was odour-active only in Touriga Nacional. Conversely, 1,8-cineole was found in emerging varieties and Cabernet-Sauvignon, but not in Shiraz and Grenache. Canonical Variance Analysis (CVA) identified key volatile compounds characterising each variety. Touriga Nacional wines were most distinct, denoted by linalool and α-terpineol. Shiraz and Montepulciano shared similar volatile profiles, both distinguished by β-damascenone and 2-phenylethyl acetate. Cabernet-Sauvignon and Grenache were characterised by 2-phenylethanol, while Nero d'Avola showed overlap with this group while additionally featuring 1,8-cineole. Sensory and volatile profiles suggest potential similarities between Shiraz – Montepulciano and Grenache – Nero d’Avola wines, whereas Touriga Nacional generated more diverse red wine styles encompassing wines similar to mainstream varieties. Collectively, these findings highlight the potential of emerging varieties to complement traditional Australian red wines as sustainable warm climate options, with some varieties showing closer stylistic similarities to mainstream styles than others.

To sustain the Australian wine sector, it needs to adopt innovative strategies to adapt to rising temperatures brought by climate change. A potential approach is cultivating more drought-resistant emerging grape varieties with diverse flavour profiles to reduce, in part, the current reliance on major varieties. The study aimed to 1) explore sensory profiles of Australian wines made from three emerging red wine grape varieties, 2) determine consumer perceptions and liking of these wines and 3) evaluate whether these three emerging varietal wines display similar sensory characteristics to three major Australian varietal wines. An expert sensory panel (n = 8) performed a sorting task with 38 commercially available Australian wines (10 Montepulciano, 10 Nero d’Avola and 9 Touriga Nacional) and three each produced from Shiraz, Grenache and Cabernet-Sauvignon for exploration of sensory similarity and quality screening purposes, with three wines removed from further study. A Rate-All-That-Apply (RATA) panel of trained wine tasters (n = 36) evaluated the wines to produce sensory profiles and collect preliminary liking. Finally, a subset (n = 9 total) of the emerging wines was selected for consumer trials. Red wine consumers (n = 116) liked all wine samples independent of their knowledge and wine behaviour. Similarity scores indicated that consumers found the most significant similarity between Shiraz and Montepulciano, and Cabernet-Sauvignon and Touriga Nacional wines. The expert and trained tasters also drew similar comparisons between Shiraz and Montepulciano, but also between Grenache and Nero d’Avola wines, yet not towards Cabernet-Sauvignon and Touriga Nacional wines. The findings support the consumer acceptance and perceived similarities between the sensory profile of Shiraz and Montepulciano and Nero d’Avola and Grenache varietal wines, highlighting the potential for producers to adopt these more drought-resistant varieties as alternatives in a warmer future.

Beer body remains a poorly defined term, and although technical brewing experts currently describe it as the fullness of flavour and mouthfeel, little is known regarding the impact of different sensory factors on its perception. Previous studies have linked consumer understanding of beer body with viscosity (e.g. thickness, smoothness), alcohol warmth and flavour intensity. Therefore, modifications to these attributes in a base beer were explored. A commercial 0.05 % lager beer was used as the beer base, with ethanol additions at two levels to yield 2.8 and 4.5 % alcohol by volume (ABV), resulting in three levels in total for ethanol. Viscosity, bitterness and hoppy aroma were each increased to perceivably different levels by the addition of carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), iso-alpha-acids, and hop oil extract, respectively, resulting in two levels for each (with addition and without). Beer samples (n = 18) were evaluated by naive UK beer consumers (n = 100) for overall liking, the intensity of perceived body and consumer-derived attributes using the Rate-All-That-Apply (RATA) technique. A 4-way ANOVA revealed significant positive effects of all four variables (p < 0.05) on body intensity ratings and significant impacts of ethanol, bitterness and aroma on overall liking. Correlation of RATA data with overall beer body ratings showed positive correlations with sensory attributes; smooth, overall flavour, overall aftertaste, hoppy flavour and negatively correlated with watery mouthfeel. Furthermore, cluster analysis was conducted on the body intensity ratings revealing three distinct consumer clusters based on the variables. This research suggests that beer consumers are not a homogenous group when it comes to body perception, and they place different levels of importance on different variables and their associated sensory attributes.

Background and Aims Climate change is prompting earlier grape ripening and harvest compression causing quality and logistical problems for growers and winemakers. Application of 1-naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) offers a management tool to delay ripening and expand the harvest window. This study extends previous findings about the effect of NAA on Shiraz fruit and wine composition and provides the first analysis of NAA-induced ripening delay of Cabernet Sauvignon. Methods and Results Pre-veraison NAA treatment of Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes delayed harvest maturity by 3-4 weeks. Modification of nutrient accumulation was minor, and wines made from NAA and Control fruit displayed no significant variation in basic chemical properties. The concentration of methoxypyrazine in NAA-treated Cabernet Sauvignon grapes was unaffected, whereas NAA-treated Shiraz fruit and wine contained an elevated concentration of rotundone. The overall difference in wine volatile profiles between NAA and Control was small for both cultivars, reflected by Rate-All-That-Apply assessments that found no (Cabernet Sauvignon) or few (Shiraz) sensory attributes distinguishing the wines. Conclusions Application of NAA delays winegrape ripening with small, cultivar-dependent effects on grape and wine composition, that are unlikely to negatively affect wine sensory perception. Significance of the Study This work further establishes NAA as a ripening-delay agent that could be used commercially to delay grape maturation and decompress harvest while preserving berry integrity and wine typicity.

The world’s changing climate is placing great pressure on the resources for sustainable viticulture. With this, it has become necessary to investigate grape varieties that are well adapted to hot climates. This study investigated whether two Cypriot varieties (Xynisteri and Maratheftiko) responded differently to Shiraz and Sauvignon Blanc grown under different irrigation regimes (full, 50% and 25%). Irrigation trials were established in Cyprus in 2019 and in Australia in 2020/2021. Vine growth and physiology and fruit composition (field trial only) measurements were recorded. The trial in Cyprus in 2019 demonstrated that for all three irrigation regimes, Xynisteri had higher stem water potential, stomatal conductance, chlorophyll and greater biomass than Sauvignon Blanc under all irrigation regimes. In 2020/2021, Xynisteri had a greater biomass than Maratheftiko and Sauvignon Blanc, with Shiraz having the lowest. Under reduced irrigation, Xynisteri and Maratheftiko had higher stem water potential, stomatal conductance and chlorophyll content than Shiraz and Sauvignon Blanc. These results indicate that Xynisteri in particular may possess better cultivar-specific growth traits than Shiraz and Sauvignon Blanc when grown under the same environmental conditions and in turn may be a more appropriate choice in areas where water is limited.

Polyfunctional thiols have previously been shown to be key aroma compounds in Sauvignon blanc and more recently in Chardonnay wines. Their role in other wine varieties such as those made from three popular indigenous Cypriot grape varieties has remained unexplored. As an extension of a previous project that profiled the sensory and chemical characteristics of Cypriot wines and their comparison to Australian wines, this study aimed to investigate five potent thiols in Xynisteri, Maratheftiko, Giannoudhi, Pinot gris, Chardonnay and Shiraz wines. Wines were analysed utilising Stable Isotope Dilution Assay (SIDA) with derivatisation and High-Performance Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS). The varietal thiols measured were 4-methyl-4-sulfanylpentan-2-one (4MSP) that has an aroma of "boxwood" and "cat urine" at high concentration, 3-sulfanylhexan-1-ol (3SH) which has been described as having a "grapefruit/tropical fruit" aroma, and 3-sulfanylhexyl acetate (3SHA) that has also been described as having an aroma of "passionfruit". Additionally, two other potent thiols were measured including benzyl mercaptan (BM) that has an aroma of "smoke and meat" and furfuryl thiol (FFT) that has been described as having a "roasted coffee" like aroma. The reason these thiols are known as potent thiols are due to their very low aroma detection thresholds in the low ng/L (ppt) range. Of the thiols that were measured, 3SH was the only varietal thiol detected in the red wine samples. All of the white wine samples contained 3SH, BM and 3SHA, whereas 4MSP was only detected in Pinot gris and three Xynisteri wines. The potent thiol, FFT, was detected only in the Chardonnay and four of the Xynisteri wines. Interestingly the thiols that were present in the samples were found at concentrations above their aroma detection thresholds (determined in hydroalcoholic solutions), especially 3SH which was found in an order of magnitude above its aroma detection threshold. These findings provide early knowledge of the presence of these thiols in Cypriot wines, compared with Australian wines and establish any relationships between this chemical data with previous wine sensory profile data.

To endure the challenge of climate change, the Australian wine industry could adopt new wine grape varieties more tolerant of these pending conditions. The aims of this study were to (i) generate sensory profiles and (ii) gain knowledge about Australian wine consumers’ liking of Australian and international wines made from selected drought-resistant, red wine grape varieties not traditionally grown in Australia but better suited for a changing Australian climate. A Rate-All-That-Apply (RATA) sensory panel (n = 43) profiled 24 commercial red wines made from 9 purportedly drought-tolerant red grape varieties, plus a single example of an Australian Cabernet-Sauvignon, Grenache and Shiraz wine. A subset of 10 wines was subjected to preference trials with Australian red wine consumers (n = 113) and underwent basic chemical composition measures. Consumers liked all 10 wines, scoring them greater than 5.7 on a 9-point Likert scale. The Fine Wine Instrument (FWI) identified 3 consumer segments (Wine Enthusiasts (WE); Aspirants (ASP) and No Frills (NF)). WE liked the 2 Touriga Nacional and Nero d’Avola wines significantly more than the NF consumers and the Graciano significantly more than the ASP. Correlation tests determined that the WE segment liked wines with aromas of vanilla, sweet taste, jammy, confectionary, vanilla and woody flavours and a non-fruit after taste, and the attributes responsible for the ASP segment's liking of the wines were red colour, jammy and toasty/smoky aromas, jammy and savoury flavours and alcohol mouthfeel and non-fruity aftertaste. NF consumers liked wines with aromas of vanilla, confectionary, jammy and red fruit flavours; smooth mouthfeel and a fruity aftertaste, but disliked wines displaying aromas of cooked vegetables and savoury, bitter taste, flavours of cooked vegetables, forest floor, green pepper and herbaceous, and rough mouthfeel. WE liked wines reminiscent of Cabernet-Sauvignon, Grenache and Shiraz while the ASP and NF consumers had preferences leaning towards wines similar in style to a Shiraz and Grenache, respectively. These findings indicate to wine producers the potential of these new wines in the current Australian market and the possibility that increasing future cultivation of these varieties as a response to climate change might lead to a more sustainable wine industry in the future.

Natural flavorings could potentially be used to enhance the intensity of wine aroma and flavor; albeit since flavor additives are not legally permitted winemaking aids, flavored wines would need to be labeled as wine products. In this study, changes in the composition and sensory profiles of flavored Chardonnay (n = 2) and Shiraz (n = 2) wines were compared at bottling, and then again after 12 months of bottle aging. Flavorings and flavored wines were also analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) to determine the key constituents responsible for changes to aroma and flavor profiles. However, many of the volatile compounds identified in flavor additives were not detected at appreciably higher concentrations in flavored wines, which was attributed to the very small quantities of flavorings that were added to base wines. The sensory profiles of control and flavored wines were determined by descriptive analysis, and the addition of flavorings to base wines significantly influenced the perception of some sensory attributes. Flavored Chardonnay wines exhibited enhanced fruit aromas and flavors, while fruit and developed attributes were enhanced in flavored Shiraz wines. Differences in sensory profiles were less apparent in Chardonnay wines following bottle aging, but depending on the flavorings added, flavored Shiraz wines could still be discriminated from their corresponding control wines after bottle aging. Results from this study demonstrate the potential for flavor additives to be used to enhance desirable attributes and/or mitigate wine sensory deficiencies.

Aim: The aims of this study were to (1) formulate a baseline understanding of the performance of the indigenous Cypriot white grape Xynisteri and the red grape Maratheftiko (Vitis vinifera L.), and (2) compare these varieties to Shiraz and Sauvignon blanc grown in a Cypriot vineyard.Materials and results: The investigation involved multiple dry grown vineyards from the Krasochoria region of Lemesos, Cyprus, during the 2017, 2018 and 2019 vintages. Vine performance measurements, including midday stem water potential, stomatal conductance, chlorophyll content, stomata density, vine phenology and vegetative and reproductive measurements, were taken at flowering, veraison and pre-harvest. Xynisteri had the greatest stomatal density, more shoots, more leaves, heavier bunches, greater yield, higher leaf water potential at harvest, and a stomatal conductance equal to Maratheftiko, but greater than that of both Shiraz and Sauvignon blanc. Maratheftiko had the longest shoots, largest shoot diameter and the greatest chlorophyll content out of all four varieties.Conclusions: This study identified the ability of the indigenous Cypriot grape varieties, Xynisteri and Maratheftiko, to better tolerate hot and dry conditions when compared to more commonly cultivated varieties grown in the same environmental conditions.Significance and impact of the study: The changing climate of wine growing regions worldwide is placing great pressure on the resources for sustainable viticulture. Many vineyards in hot climate zones base their businesses on European grape varieties traditionally grown in regions with abundant water resources. It is therefore necessary for the global wine industry to investigate grape varieties that are indigenous to hot climates. The eastern Mediterranean island of Cyprus is one such place, with more than 10 indigenous grape varieties that grow well in a hot climate without irrigation. Consumer studies have demonstrated that wines made from these Cypriot varieties are equally, if not more, acceptable than wines made from more traditional European grapes; therefore, the potential for their use in other hot wine growing regions is promising.

Aims: The aims of this study were to (1) assess the response of the indigenous Cypriot variety Xynisteri to different irrigation regimes and (2) compare the performance of Xynisteri to Sauvignon Blanc grown in pots with different irrigation regimes. Methods and Results: The investigation involved two irrigation trials conducted in Lemesos, Cyprus during the 2019 season. Irrigation trial one was established in a commercial Xynisteri vineyard. Three different irrigation regimes full irrigation, deficit irrigation (50%) and no irrigation were used. Irrigation trial two was a potted trial of Xynisteri established from cuttings collected from two different regions (KX and ZX) and Sauvignon blanc. Three irrigation regimes full irrigation, deficit irrigation (50%) and minimal irrigation (25%) were applied to ten treatment replicates. Vine performance, vine phenology and bunch architecture measures were taken at five developmental growth stages during the growing season in both trials. Fruit composition analysis, yield (field trial only) and shoot, trunk and root weights measurements were performed at the end of the season. Very few differences between measures were found between irrigation regimes in the commercial vineyard. However, in 2019 the vineyard received 194mm of rain in the growing season (April-September). Fruit composition analysis revealed fructose to be lowest in the full irrigation group compared to deficit and nonirrigated treatments. The potted trial demonstrated that for all three irrigation regimes, both Xynisteri KX and ZX had higher stem water potential, stomatal conductance and chlorophyll content when compared to Sauvignon blanc. Additionally, Xynisteri KX had higher chlorophyll content with minimal irrigation compared to the Xynisteri ZX. Furthermore, Xynisteri KX and ZX produced greater end of season root, trunk and shoot weights than Sauvignon blanc under all irrigation regimes and Xynisteri KX had greater root, trunk and shoot weights than Xynisteri ZX with full irrigation Conclusions: This study identified the greater potential for the indigenous Cypriot grape variety Xynisteri to cope successfully with hot and dry conditions when compared to Sauvignon blanc. It also highlights the possible existence of different biotypes that may be important for future clonal selection. Significance and Impact of the Study: The world’s changing climate is placing great pressure on the resources for sustainable viticulture in warm/hot wine growing regions. Many vineyards and wineries base their businesses on European grape varieties traditionally grown in regions with abundant water resources. It is therefore necessary for these wine regions to investigate grape varieties that are indigenous to hot climates. The eastern Mediterranean island of Cyprus is one such place with 12 indigenous grape varieties that grow well in a hot climate without irrigation.

This study explored wine consumers’ preferences towards a novel Australian Shiraz wine product containing Ganoderma lucidum (GL). Wine consumers (n = 124) were asked to complete a questionnaire and participate in a blind tasting of six GL wine products (differing in the amount and timing of GL extract additions). Based on individual liking scores for each GL wine product that was tasted, four hedonic clusters C1 (n = 44, preferred control and low levels of GL additions), C2 (n = 28, preferred control only), C3 (n = 26, generally preferred all GL additions) and C4 (n = 26, preferred 1 g/L additions and 4 g/L post-fermentation) were identified. Sensory attributes of the GL wine products were also profiled with rate-all-that-apply (n = 65) and the 31 sensory attributes that significantly differentiated the wines underwent principal component analysis with the hedonic clusters overlaid to explain consumers’ preferences. There was a clear separation between hedonic clusters. Sensory attributes and volatile flavor compounds that significantly differentiated the wines were subjected to partial least squares regression, which indicated the important positive drivers of liking among the hedonic clusters. Pepper and jammy aroma, 3-methylbutanoic acid (linked to fruity notes) and non-fruit aftertaste positively drove C2′s preference, whereas spice flavor and hexanoic acid (known for leafy and woody descriptors) drove C3′s liking. There were no positive drivers for C1′s liking but bitter taste, cooked vegetable, and toasty aromas drove this cluster’ dislike. C4 preferred brown appearance, tobacco aroma, and jammy and cooked vegetable flavors. These findings provide the wine industry with deeper insights into consumers’ liking towards new GL wine products targeted at the Australasian market.

Wine consumer lifestyle segmentation has been widely studied; however, most studies have solely utilised online surveys. This work investigated the impact of context on wine consumer segments' liking and emotions while consuming wines in different environments. Two studies were conducted with regular wine consumers segmented based on their fine wine behaviour using the Fine Wine Instrument. Study 1 (n = 122) investigated the effects of wine variety and product information, and Study 2 (n = 346) the effects of wine quality and consumption context, on hedonic and emotional responses of the segments. Within both studies, three segments were identified and named: Wine Enthusiasts, Aspirants and No Frills. The Wine Enthusiast segment generally liked the wines more and perceived more intense positive emotions when consuming wine compared to the No Frills segment, with the Aspirant's likes and emotion intensities ranging in between. Wine Enthusiasts were more discriminative of their preferred wines and reported stronger positive emotions when tasting higher quality (Study 1) and more complex (Study 2) wines. The consistent results across the two studies showed for the first time that consumer segments, based on lifestyle segmentation, differ in their hedonic and emotional responses towards wine when actually tasting wines, demonstrating that the Fine Wine Instrument has practical implications and can identify wine consumers displaying different wine consumption behaviours.

It is still not fully clear how particular aromas in wine may affect consumers’ liking and emotional responses, and whether these change in different contexts and seasons. Therefore, a study was conducted with 3000 regular wine consumers from Australia, UK and USA using an online survey that assessed liking for 59 wine aromas, and from which 9 aromas, selected as representatives of groups of similar aromas, were profiled for elicited emotions by the ScentMove™ scale.The most liked wine aromas across all countries were ‘berry-like’, followed by ‘vanilla’, ‘chocolate’, ‘citrus-like’ and ‘honey’. Interestingly, aromas with the same liking rating displayed significantly different emotional profiles which seemed to drive differences in preferred consumption occasion and season. For example, highly liked ‘passionfruit’ aroma, associated with happy, relaxed and romantic emotions, was suitable for many occasions and seasons, ‘lemon’ evoked energetic emotions and was preferred in wines consumed at parties/BBQs in summer, while ‘chocolate’ would fit well in a restaurant. Hedonic and emotional responses towards selected wine aromas differed between various demographic groups. Gender, age and consumption frequency had greater effects than education or income, with similar patterns found in each country indicating similarity in wine cultures and the language used. The national influence was more reflected in the polarised rating by the USA consumers compared to UK and Australia. This information could be utilised to produce wines for specific occasions and seasons.

Novel Shiraz red wine products enriched with Ganoderma lucidum (GL) extract, a traditional Asian medicinal mushroom, were developed and characterized. GL extract was added at different levels prior to and after primary fermentation to investigate its impact on the juice fermentation kinetics, and the chemical composition and sensory properties of the resulting wines. The fermentation kinetics of red grape juice were not significantly different between ferments. Basic chemical analyses plus headspace solid-phase micro-extraction (HS-SPME), gas chromatography‒mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and a rate-all-that-apply (RATA) (n = 65) sensory panel were used to investigate the influence of GL extract additions on wine composition and sensory characteristics. Of the 54 sensory attributes assessed, 39 significantly differentiated the wines. A clear separation between GL wine treatments was evident with PLS regression, where specific volatiles were correlated with relevant sensory attributes that dominated the wines. These products could be promising for emerging wine markets.

Many of us have Friday-after-work-drinks with colleagues, enjoy a glass of wine with friends or family over dinner and raise glasses of sparkling wine for special celebrations. To gain advanced insight into the complex alcoholic beverage market, studies need to account for these contextual factors associated with consumption moments including the social aspects, environmental conditions, and product attributes. This chapter reviews the literature examining context effects on alcoholic beverages with an emphasis on wine. It outlines how the sensory qualities of alcoholic beverages represent only one of many factors influencing the consumer's perception of the drink, that changing the context using different methodologies can alter consumers' responses and that this may differ depending on the product category. Practical considerations for the conduct of alcoholic beverage research are discussed and the lack of knowledge about context and beverage product reviews by the influential beverage media highlighted.

Aim: The aims of this study were to (1) generate sensory and chemical profiles of commercial Cypriot wines made from the white grape Xynisteri and the red grapes Maratheftiko and Giannoudhi and (2) assess the Australian consumers’ response to these wines.Methods and Results: A Rate-All-That-Apply (RATA) method was used for sensory profiling of the wines (n=56 panellists on Xynisteri and n=60 on Maratheftiko and Giannoudhi) and to guide chemical analysis of flavour compounds. Chemical analysis involved quantitative analysis of aroma compounds by gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and non-targeted profiling of phenolic compounds (non-volatile secondary metabolites) using liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS). Australian wine consumer’s hedonic responses towards wines made from Cypriot grape varieties were also investigated. Consumers completed a questionnaire exploring their demographics, wine consumption habits, environmental/sustainability opinions and neophobic tendencies prior to the tasting. The first tasting (n consisted of six commercial Xynisteri, one Australian Pinot Gris and one Australian unwooded Chardonnay wines. The second (n=114) consisted of three Maratheftiko, one Giannoudhi and one Australian Shiraz wines.Conclusions: Principal Component Analysis (PCA) of the RATA study identified the following sensory characteristics for Xynisteri wine: stone fruit, dried fruit, citrus, herbaceous, grassy, apple/pear, confectionary, vanilla, creamy, buttery, wood, and toasty. Maratheftiko wines were described as woody, dried fruit, chocolate, herbaceous, confectionary, jammy, sweet and full bodied. Giannoudhi wine was described as woody, dried fruit, chocolate and full bodied. Chemical analysis identified 15 phenolic compounds in the white wine samples and 17 in the red wine samples, as well as 21 volatile/aroma compounds in the white wine samples and 26 in the red wine samples. These chemical compounds were then correlated with sensory data from the RATA and consumer hedonic responses using Agglomerative Hierarchical Clustering (AHC) and PCA to determine consumer liking drivers for the wines. Three clusters of consumers were identified for the white and red wines. The overall consumer means for liking indicated that Cypriot wines were liked similarly to Australian wines.Significance and impact of the study: Australia’s changing climate is placing great pressure on the resources for sustainable viticulture. Many vineyards and wineries base their businesses on European grape varieties traditionally grown in regions with abundant water resources. It is therefore necessary for the Australian wine industry to investigate grape varieties that are indigenous to hot climates similar to Australia. The eastern Mediterranean island of Cyprus is one such place with indigenous grape varieties that grow well in a hot climate without irrigation. These popular Cypriot wines have the potential to be popular with Australian consumers, thus offering new grape varieties to the Australian market that are better suited to the changing climate.

The aim of this work was to investigate how useful the Rate-All-That-Apply (RATA) method with naive consumers is to profile a wide range of wines and how the sensory profiles obtained compare with those of classic descriptive analysis (DA). For this purpose, we conducted two studies. Study 1 presents preliminary work comparing the discrimination ability of RATA, undertaken by 84 naive consumers, with a traditional DA with 11 trained panelists. The vocabulary lists remained the same across the two methods, and the assessment was based on a set of six red table wines (from six different varieties). Study 2 aimed to further elucidate the discrimination ability of RATA with 71 naive consumers compared with traditional DA. It expanded on Study 1 by increasing the number of samples assessed (12 white table wines from six varieties) and by varying the vocabulary between methods (RATA used a generic white wine attribute list and the DA used a panel-generated attribute list). In addition, similarity of sample configuration in the sensory space between RATA and DA was assessed by means of multiple factor analysis (MFA) and regression vector (RV) coefficients. The results of both studies revealed that RATA and DA are highly similar in sample discrimination ability (in terms of number of attributes significantly discriminating among samples). Furthermore, the MFA indicated high agreement in sample configuration between RATA and DA, reinforced by highly significant RV coefficients of 0.97 for Study 1 and 0.92 for Study 2. Overall, this observation supports a trend toward more consumer-centric approaches for sensory profiling and suggests that RATA could be a valid, accurate, and rapid addition to existing profiling methods used for wine.

This chapter provides an overview of consumer segmentation studies applying psychographic variables with a focus on the Australian market, and describes the identity and composition of the resulting wine consumer segments. The comparison of the studies suggests that there are 3 stable segments within the Australian domestic wine market: Connoisseurs, who are very wine knowledgeable, and wine involved; enjoyment oriented social wine drinkers, a segment that is female dominant, who enjoy wine in a social setting; and basic wine drinkers, who enjoy a glass of wine, but are not very wine knowledgeable or wine involved. In addition, selected international segmentation studies are presented to demonstrate global applicability.

Ganoderma lucidwn (GL) is a woody mushroom that has been widely used for many centuries in traditional Chinese medicine. Its bioactive-compounds are believed to promote longevity and prevent diseases in humans. With the dose proximity of emerging Asian markets, Australian winemakers are beginning to adopt consumer centric wine product development as a strategy to generate wines with profiles that meet the specific demands of these consumers. This cross-cultural study recruited 412 wine consumers (Chinese, Vietnamese and Australian) to participate in a survey to understand wine consumers' potential acceptance and self-reported intent towards new wine products produced with GL extracts and the relationship of their responses with wine neophobicity across cultures. Findings revealed that all consumer groups accepted the notion that GL wine products would be worth tasting and they would try them at social events, with Vietnamese consumers being particularly interested. Using the wine neophobia scale (WNS), three segments containing wine neophiles (n = 110), neutrals (n = 190) and wine neophobes (n = 112) were identified. The results revealed that Australian and Chinese participants were significantly more wine neophilic, compared to Vietnamese. As expected, neophiles were more prepared to taste and purchase GL wine products compared to neophobes across all three countries, although no gender differences were observed. The study provides the wine industry insights about consumers' attitudes towards a new GL wine product targeted to Australian and Asian markets that could help develop new niche wine categories and enhance consumers' satisfaction.

This study investigated how information, typically presented on wine back-labels or wine company websites, influences consumers' expected liking, informed liking, wine-evoked emotions and willingness to pay for Australian white wines. Regular white wine consumers (n=126) evaluated the same set of three commercially available white wines (mono-varietal Chardonnay, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc) under three information levels. Session 1, blind tasting (no information provided) and Session 2, informed tasting (held at least 1week later) with both basic (sensory description of the wines) and elaborate (sensory plus high wine quality and favourable winery information) descriptions followed by liking, wine-evoked emotions (measured with the Australian Wine Evoked Emotions Lexicon (AWEEL)) and willingness to pay evaluations. Before tasting the wine in session 2, consumers also rated expected liking. Results showed that information level had a significant effect on all investigated variables. The elaborate information level evoked higher expectations before tasting the wines, plus resulted in higher liking ratings, elicitation of more intense positive (e.g. contented, happy and warm-hearted) and less intense negative emotions (e.g. embarrassed and unfulfilled), and a substantial increase in willingness to pay after tasting the wines compared to the blind condition, with the basic condition ranging in-between. These results were consistent across the three wine samples. Furthermore, if the liking rating after tasting the wines matched the expected liking or exceeded the expectations by 1 point on a 9-point hedonic scale, participants felt the most intense positive emotions and the least intense negative emotions. Whereas, if the expectations were not met or the actual liking exceeded the expectations by >2 points, participants felt less intense positive and more intense negative emotions. This highlights not only the importance of well written and accurate wine descriptions, but also that information can influence consumers' wine drinking experience and behaviour.