Influence of Serving Temperature and Wine Type on Perception of Ethyl Acetate and 4-ethyl Phenol in Wine

Abstract

This research explored the effect of temperature on the perception of two chemical compounds (ethyl acetate, 4-ethyl phenol) in four base wines (Gewurztraminer, Chardonnay, white blend, red blend). The perceived aroma intensity was evaluated at three serving temperatures (5°C, 10°C, 22°C) with wines which were spiked with 200 ppm ethyl acetate and 1000 ppm 4-ethyl phenol, using a panel of eight judges. Special attention was paid to the insulation of the wine glasses to maintain the temperature of the wine samples. The panel was required to wear wool scarves and gloves to eliminate cognitive and physical clues. The relationships between temperature and perceived intensity for fruit, ethyl acetate and 4-ethyl phenol were between 0.951 and 0.991, with all base wines. The perception of ethyl acetate was most noticeable in the neutral wines (white, red blends) and least noticeable in the highly aromatic Gewurztraminer and Chardonnay wines at 20°C. In contrast, 4-ethyl phenol was least noticeable at 20°C in the wines with greater phenolic constituents, Chardonnay and the red blend. The chemical 4-ethyl phenol appeared to suppress the perception of fruit in all base wines at all temperatures.