TY - JOUR T1 - Identifying the Chemical Composition Related to the Distinct Flavor Characteristics of New Zealand Sauvignon blanc Wines JF - American Journal of Enology and Viticulture JO - Am. J. Enol. Vitic. DO - 10.5344/ajev.2011.10074 SP - ajev.2011.10074 AU - Frank Benkwitz AU - Takatoshi Tominaga AU - Paul A. Kilmartin AU - Cynthia Lund AU - Mark Wohlers AU - Laura Nicolau Y1 - 2011/10/12 UR - http://www.ajevonline.org/content/early/2011/10/11/ajev.2011.10074.abstract N2 - A comprehensive set of aroma compounds has been quantified in 79 Sauvignon blanc wines from different international producers. Emphasis was given to understanding the chemical differences that can explain the unique character of Marlborough Sauvignon blanc, the flagship wine of the New Zealand industry. Quantification revealed the potential importance of several volatile compounds, in addition to the polyfunctional mercaptans and methoxypyrazines already known to be important to the aroma of Sauvignon blanc wines. Multivariate statistical approaches, including canonical variate analysis, classification tree and partial least square analysis, established correlations between the chemical and the sensory profiles of the wines. A significant role of 3-mercaptohexyl acetate and 3-mercaptohexanol in the unique tropical, fruity character of Marlborough Sauvignon blanc wines was demonstrated, along with important variations in their concentrations, pointing to different styles even within the Marlborough wines. ER -