1. Introduction
Mechanical grapevine harvest has been standard practice worldwide since the 1960’s [
1], but can inadvertently result in the occurrence of materials other than grapes (MOG) in harvest loads. Mechanized harvest is normally considered equal to hand harvesting in terms of ultimate wine quality [
2,
3,
4,
5,
6]. The first mechanical harvesters were unable to expel all the MOG produced during harvest, but more recent harvesting technology has largely eliminated the problem except under anomalous circumstances such as with frost-damaged canopies [
7,
8]. New mechanical harvesting technologies with optical sorting capabilities can eject leaves, petioles and unsound or unripe fruit [
8]. The presence of MOG, such as stems and petioles, can be an important deterrent for wine composition and quality, particularly for red wines [
9,
10,
11].
Of particular concern are “floral taints” in red wines, which can develop following mechanical harvest that has occurred following killing frosts [
12,
13,
14,
15]. Reports from Ontario suggested that the compounds responsible were primarily monoterpenes and norisoprenoids [
12,
13,
14], whereas recent research in Washington State suggested involvement of 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-ol, p-menth-1-en-9-al, and 6-methyl-3,5-heptadien-2-one [
15]. Some red wine cultivars (e.g. Cabernet franc, Cabernet Sauvignon) are specifically prone to floral sensory taints introduced by these materials [
12,
13,
14,
15]. Climate change has permitted harvest delays of cultivars such as Cabernet Sauvignon into late November, when foliage has usually been killed by frost. There is a concern that undesirable aroma compounds are being introduced by the presence of frozen leaf blades and petioles, and that post-frost machine-harvesting is a significant contributor to this problem. To address these concerns of sensory taints and enable grape growers to adapt to changing environmental conditions, the wine industry has expressed a need to understand effects contributed by frozen MOG.
Grape leaves and petioles have a high potential for being integrated into the fermentation following mechanical harvesting, therefore they pose a substantial risk to the final wine composition [
9,
16,
17,
18]. In particular, MOG may impact concentrations of aroma compounds in musts and wines. The concentration and composition of volatile compounds vary depending on the organ of the grapevine, especially between the vegetative tissues (stems, rachis, peduncles, etc.), and flowers/green berries [
13,
19]. Volatile compounds associated with vegetative tissues of grapevines, especially the rachis, peduncles, and stems, are mainly monoterpenes such as geraniol, linalool, α-terpineol, nerol, and α-citronellol [
19]. Remaining organs including leaf blades (laminae) contain several volatile compounds that may be extracted into wine, particularly C
6 compounds such as aldehydes and alcohols (e.g. hexanal, 2-hexenal, 2-hexen-1-ol, and
n-hexanol), and other aliphatic compounds (e.g. 2,4-heptadienal, 1-octen-3-ol) that are associated with green odors [
19,
20,
21], as well as terpenes and norisoprenoids (e.g. linalool, citronellol, geraniol, ionone) [
16,
22,
23]. The C
6 compounds responsible for the ‘grassy’ characteristics associated with grape leaves originate from fatty acids in leaf cellular structures via the lipoxygenase pathway [
16]. Petioles contain high concentrations of free terpenes, especially citronellol and geraniol [
23]. The petiole may act as a storage vehicle for free terpenols prior to transportation to other parts of the vine, or for utilization in metabolic pathways such as the geranyl phosphate pathway, hence the high concentrations of terpenols in petioles vs. laminae [
23]. Other volatile compounds in leaves and petioles include benzenic compounds (e.g. methyl salicylate, benzyl alcohol, benzaldehyde, and 2-phenylethanol), norisoprenoids, and eugenol [
19,
23].
Pre-fermentation juice contact with MOG during fermentation results in extraction of numerous volatile grapevine compounds into the wines, and the presence of increasing MOG during fermentation leads to in wine with higher concentrations of several monoterpenes and other aroma compounds [
11,
17,
18,
24]. In situations of high MOG concentrations, geraniol, linalool, and β-citronellol are found at concentrations above their detection thresholds, suggesting a potential sensory impact [
17]. Higher alcohols and esters increase if stems are included [
11,
24]. Other compounds such as benzyl alcohol, eugenol, 1-hexanol, methyl salicylate, and ethyl salicylate also increase with MOG incorporation [
11,
17]. However, contrary to other aroma compounds and other studies [
25], methoxypyrazines can be reduced with high petiole concentrations, possibly through adsorption by petioles in fermenting wines [
17].
Minimal sensory differences were initially found in wines from hand-harvested and mechanically-harvested treatments, with no differences in volatile compounds [
9]. There were likewise no increases in the concentration of leaf volatiles, such as
trans-3-hexenal and
cis-3-hexenol in machine-harvested must, and no sensory differences between hand-harvested and machine-harvested wines [
26]. However, studies comparing hand-harvest or various mechanized harvest methods with/without post-harvest optical berry sorting demonstrated positive chemical and/or sensory impacts of both mechanical harvest method and post-harvest optical sorting [
5,
8,
14]. Pinot noir grapes had higher concentrations of linalool, β-myrcene, α-terpinene, and β-damascenone, presumably caused by glycosidic hydrolysis initiated by berry maceration during mechanical harvest [
8]. Considering that the aforementioned sensory taints observed in Ontario’s red wines have been associated exclusively with mechanically-harvested grapes, it was surmised that increased concentrations of undesirable aroma compounds such as monoterpenes were being introduced by frozen MOG. Floral terpene-based aromas are typical and desirable in white wines, such as Muscat, Riesling, and Gewürztraminer [
27]. However, monoterpenes are atypical compounds in red table wines [
28,
29]. More than 5% petiole content was reported to significantly alter sensory qualities, particularly increasing terpene-based floral aromas in Cabernet Sauvignon [
17].
Initial hypotheses, based on largely anecdotal evidence, were that MOG would be associated with: Increased terpenes and other odorants; bitter taste compounds; malic acid increases; and, decreased anthocyanins and color intensity. It was also hypothesized that there might be breakdown of glycosides in leaves, petioles, and fruit—and subsequent release of terpene and norisoprenoid aglycones--due to light freezing of grapes that could occur with late harvesting. To investigate the impact of MOG on wine composition and quality, two main goals were addressed: 1) Identify and quantify key odor-active compounds in several commercial Ontario red wines (Cabernet franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, blends) produced from MOG and non-MOG-affected grapes. These initial sensorial and chemical analyses were ultimately used by participating wineries to identify the source material in terms of variety and vineyard location; 2) Use controlled fermentations to investigate threshold frozen MOG levels that result in undesirable sensory characteristics of wines. It is also possible, MOG notwithstanding, that late-season harvests allow odor-active compounds to develop to undesirable concentrations in mature fruit in varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet franc [
29], or, that they are introduced by MOG through post-frost machine-harvesting.
Reports of the impact of frozen MOG have been previously published [
12,
13,
14]. This current work was in fact the initial component of the overall investigation, and extends the aforementioned studies to include two different vintages (2016, 2017), two varieties (Cabernet franc, Cabernet Sauvignon) and sensory evaluation of wines, complete with a more comprehensive data set involving five levels of leaves and petioles and a single yeast strain. Related work addressed mitigating effects of yeast strains on Cabernet franc, and the impacts of harvest technologies [
13,
14].
5. Conclusions
The inclusion of petioles and leaves into fermentations had a significant impact on the chemical and sensory profiles of Cabernet franc and Cabernet Sauvignon wines. High levels of MOG were associated with higher levels of floral and vegetal attributes, as well as several aroma compounds including terpenes, esters, norisoprenoids, and higher alcohols. Increased leaf levels in Cabernet Sauvignon were also negatively correlated with color intensity, indicating a potential decrease in color at greater levels of MOG. Increases in floral aroma ratings were associated with the addition of petioles as well as leaves. In contrast, increases in vegetal and herbaceous characteristics were associated only with the inclusion of leaves. Increased floral aromas were detectable at levels of 2% petioles for Cabernet franc and 1% leaves for Cabernet Sauvignon. Similarly, increased vegetal and herbaceous attributes were associated with 2% leaves for Cabernet franc and 1% leaves for Cabernet Sauvignon. Thus, there appeared to be a cultivar-dependent threshold for the amount of MOG required to cause perceivable sensory differences. The sensory attributes associated with the increase in frozen MOG are generally considered undesirable in Cabernet franc and Cabernet Sauvignon wines. However, as no preference testing was conducted, no conclusions regarding wine quality could be made.
This study provided a sound basis for the impact of post-frost MOG; however, there are several future components that could allow for a greater understanding of the impact of frozen MOG during red wine fermentations. Recent trials addressed the effects of different yeast strains, as well as the impact of different harvester technologies, to evaluate these as possible mitigating strategies. The data presented here are overwhelmingly indicative of the significance and role played by terpenes and norisoprenoids in the determination of MOG-induced floral taint in late-harvested red wine varieties. “Floral taint” associated with frozen MOG is due primarily to several terpenes (linalool, geraniol, cis- and trans-rose oxide, citronellol, nerol), methyl and ethyl salicylate, and β-ionone. Several esters and other aliphatic compounds also appeared related—including esters (ethyl heptanoate, octanoate, nonoate, decanoate) and alcohols (hexanol, octanol, phenylethyl alcohol). However—some of these, although very responsive, may occur below sensory threshold; however, many sensory thresholds measured in water could be much lower in an alcohol-based medium, and there are several interactions between chemicals that are not fully understood. Regardless, it would be useful to quantify wider range of aroma compounds, including methoxypyrazines, to assess if there are any masking effects. It would also be valuable to conduct trials on combinations of leaves and petioles, as well as different maceration times. Sensory analysis should also include preference testing to determine any potential impacts on consumer perception of quality.