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A study by Spanish wine and food scientists published on the Oeno One research platform has investigated whether there are specific sensory parameters that distinguish natural wines from conventional wines. The study also investigated whether the test subjects' knowledge of these parameters influences their perception of quality. To confirm the results, the wines were also analysed physically and chemically.
In this study, natural wines are defined as wines that are vinified from organically or biodynamically grown grapes without oenological additives in the cellar and with minimal intervention at all stages of production. For the study, winemakers from Spain and France each tasted and described twelve red natural and conventional wines. This phase was referred to as the sorting task. In a further step, the winegrowers were asked to assess the quality of the wines once with and once without any information about them. The aim was to find out whether certain expectations of the wine types and cultural influences of the tasters were relevant.
The results of the sorting task showed that the descriptions of natural wines tended to differ from those of conventional wines. However, the difference was not clear. However, the natural wines were perceived to be of lower quality, both with and without the information provided - and regardless of the origin of the tasting winemakers. Unpleasant odours were detected in 45 percent of the natural wines, significantly more than in conventional wines. This confirms the results of previous studies. The sensory results were confirmed by chemical analyses: They documented significantly higher values for volatile acidity and turbidity as well as lower values for free and total sulphur dioxide in natural wines.
Overall, the natural wines had significantly lower quality ratings than conventional wines. The ratings of the French testers were significantly better than those of the Spanish testers. The researchers conclude that oenological training influences the perception of quality in individual countries. The fact that French winegrowers were more tolerant than their Spanish colleagues may be due to a greater familiarity with this wine category. The authors of the study see clear evidence of the existence of sensory parameters that affect overall quality in conjunction with the production method.
(al / source: oeno-one)