Researchers have designed an algorithm that can predict how good a white wine tastes by analysing its chemical components. The tool could help winemakers craft better wines – including alcohol-free versions people actually want to drink.
How good does a glass of white wine taste?
This assessment is obviously subjective – and yet it is not.
A new study shows that the mix of chemical components in a white wine can reveal whether people think it tastes good – or truly outstanding.
The researchers designed an algorithm to assess how good white wines produced in Germany taste by making an overall assessment of the wine based on analysing hundreds of aroma and flavour compounds.
The point is not to consult an algorithm before taking a sip. The point is to provide winemakers a tool to improve their products – both classical and alcohol-free white wines that people actually want to drink.
“This study is a proof of concept that a model can be developed to examine the quality of a white wine based on the content of various metabolites. Insight into [BQ2] what makes a white wine really good can help wine producers optimise their production so that they end up making wine that people will love,” explains a researcher behind the study, Beatriz Quintanilla-Casas, Assistant Professor, Department of Food Science, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.
The research has been published in Food Chemistry.
Taste is shaped by both aroma and flavour
Whether a wine tastes good or excellent is not as objective as one might think.
It is a cocktail of hundreds of compounds – the volatile ones that tease the nose and the more stable ones [BQ3] such as sugars, alcohol and acids that shape the taste. The balance between them determines whether the wine is good or excellent (or worse).
Volatile metabolites include aromas – fragrances – and non-volatile metabolites include sugars, alcohol and acids.
The volatile metabolites give a wine its aroma, and the non-volatile metabolites give it its taste.
Both are important for creating a good wine.
“The combination of a wide range of volatile and non-volatile metabolites is what determines whether a wine tastes good or not. Fortunately, it is relatively easy to measure the content of both in the laboratory using simple techniques,” explains Beatriz Quintanilla-Casas.
89 white wines map the building blocks of wine
Beatriz Quintanilla-Casas and her colleagues examined the content of volatile and non-volatile metabolites in 89 wines produced in Germany, including ones based on Riesling, Gewürztraminer and Chardonnay grapes.
For each wine, they created a metabolite profile and compared it with user ratings from the Vivino app, where wines are scored from 1 to 5.
The model found clear patterns between the chemistry of the wine and users’ ratings on Vivino – and its predictions came strikingly close to the scores the wines had already received.
What characterises the best white wines?
The researchers wanted more than a model that could guess quality – they wanted it to reveal why some wines rise from good to unforgettable.
This enables the researchers to go into the model and see what lies behind its assessment.
This study showed what it takes to make truly exceptional wines.
These include the content of various sugars and aromatic substances in the form of terpenes.
“With this model, we can identify what makes really good wines stand out. However, note that our model can only assess the quality of German white wines at this stage and not wines from other countries or other types of wine,” says Beatriz Quintanilla-Casas.
Can we design the wine of the future?
Beatriz Quintanilla-Casas thinks that greater insight into what makes an excellent wine can be used in the future to design better wines.
Wine producers could use this knowledge to blend different grapes to give the wine the right profile in terms of sugars and terpenes.
The next step is to apply the model to other wines – including reds – and test it against the opinions of both experts and everyday wine drinkers.
In addition, they are also working on a model for evaluating red wines, comparing the content of volatile and non-volatile metabolites not only with the user experience on Vivino but also with evaluations from a panel of wine experts and enthusiasts.
“If we can understand what makes a wine loved by consumers, we can also better create what people like. This applies to white wines, red wines and perhaps also non-alcoholic wines,” concludes Beatriz Quintanilla-Casas.
