Effect of Vineyard Nitrogen Fertilization Level on the Formation of Some Fermentation Esters

Abstract

Thompson Seedless grapes, grown on carefully replicated blocks with several different levels of fertilizer applications were harvested and fermented under standardized conditions. The resulting wines were analyzed for a number of esters. The correlations of these esters to the total nitrogen determined in the juice prior to fermentation were made. The effects of the nitrogen level of the must on each of the individual ester concentrations of the wines varied. Lower weight esters in the wine were positively correlated to must nitrogen. The correlation decreased with increasing molecular weight esters and became negative for phenethyl acetate.