Application of Time-Intensity Procedures for the Evaluation of Taste and Mouthfeel

¹ Department of Viticulture and Enology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616.

Temporal evaluation has important applications for characterizing wine sensory properties, such as astringency and bitterness, which are very persistent. Factors influencing perception in time-intensity studies include mode of evaluation, structure and concentration of compounds, and individual variation such as in salivary flow rates. As stimulus concentration is increased, maximum intensity and total duration increase, whereas only small differences in time to maximum occur. Little difference is observed between evaluation of bitterness or sourness by sipping versus swallowing. No differences in perception of sweetness or sourness have been found as a function of salivary flow, despite lower oral concentrations of stimuli in high-flow judges after expectoration. In contrast, large differences are observed in perception of bitterness and astringency. Low-flow subjects perceive both attributes more intensely throughout the evaluation, and persistence lasts longer than for high-flow subjects.

Key words: time intensity, bitterness, astringency, saliva, sensory evaluation

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