Relationships between Grape and Wine Sensory Attributes and Compositional Measures of cv. Shiraz

Relationships among sensory attributes, compositional measures, and wine quality of Shiraz grapes and wines were evaluated for two seasons, 2009 to 2010 and 2010 to 2011. The sensory profiles of berries and wines were evaluated by descriptive analysis and wine quality was assessed by an expert panel. In this study, berry sensory attributes alone were better predictors of wine sensory and compositional variables than the combination of berry sensory and compositional variables. Partial least squares regression analysis and Pearson's correlation revealed a negative relationship between seed bitterness and wine savory spice flavor in both seasons. In 2011, pulp detachment from the skin correlated with wine sensory attributes such as rim color, fresh dark berry flavor, savory spice flavor, and wine quality score. Correlations among wine sensory attributes, wine pigmented polymers, and wine total tannins were identified in both seasons. These findings are important for grapegrowers and winemakers as they identify berry sensory attributes that may assist as objective measures in predicting final wine style and quality.