PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Martin P. Mendez-Costabel
AU  - Kerry L. Wilkinson
AU  - Sue E.P. Bastian
AU  - Michael McCarthy
AU  - Chris M. Ford
AU  - Nick Dokoozlian
TI  - Seasonal and Regional Variation of Green Aroma Compounds in Commercial Vineyards of <em>Vitis vinifera</em> L. Merlot in California
AID  - 10.5344/ajev.2013.12109
DP  - 2013 Dec 01
TA  - American Journal of Enology and Viticulture
PG  - 430--436
VI  - 64
IP  - 4
4099  - http://www.ajevonline.org/content/64/4/430.short
4100  - http://www.ajevonline.org/content/64/4/430.full
SO  - Am. J. Enol. Vitic.2013 Dec 01; 64
AB  - A field study was conducted from 2007 to 2010 to examine regional and seasonal variability of the main compounds responsible for green aromas in grapes and wines, 3-isobutyl-2-methoxypyrazine and C6 compounds. Sixty-nine commercial Vitis vinifera L. Merlot vineyards located in three distinctly different winegrape growing regions within the Central Valley of California were sampled at commercial harvest, fruit samples were analyzed for green aroma compounds and standard chemometrics, and several weather parameters such as growing degree days and rainfall were recorded at the vineyard level. Seasonal variation was found to be more important than regional variation, and similar trends among regions were found within each season. Temperature during the spring, a period of active growth, was found to be a significant driver of fruit green aroma compounds at harvest, likely due to its interactions with vine vigor and fruit shading.