Effect of harvest time on the chemical and sensory characteristics of a Corsican rosé wine

Abstract Purpose:- The aim of the research was to find the effect of harvest time on the chemical and sensory characteristics of a Rosé wine made from a native Corsican grape variety called Sciaccarellu. Rosé is the most important wine for Corsica as it accounts for 70% of total production. Design/methodology/approach Three Vitis vinifera L. cv Sciaccrellu wines were made at small scale from a sequentially harvested grape parcels. Grapes were harvested at juice soluble solids from 21 to 24 °Brix which corresponded to a range of wine ethanol concentrations between 12% and 14.4%. with alcohol concentration between 12% to 14% v/v. A collaborative approach, including detailed chemical analysis and sensory analysis was used to better establish the relationship among grape maturity, wine composition and sensory quality. One grape parcel was selected to obtain the grapes for the winemaking. The sugar loading in the grapes was analyzed using DYOSTEM. For the chemical analysis different instruments were used including FTIR spectroscopy, HPLC, etc. The descriptive sensory analysis was conducted in and the sensory panel was consisted of 17 assessors (8 male and 9 female) for this study. All the panelists went through a four one-hours of training sessions to make sure they have a harmony in appropriate descriptors and definitions for rating in formal session. The wines were assesses based on all sensory properties including aroma and palate Findings: There were some obvious chemical changes in sugar content, acidity, and Total Acidity. As the grapes kept longer on the vines for ripening, they were accumulating more sugars, PH was increasing, and total acidity was decreasing. There was increasing in phenolic concentration with harvest date. Overall Concentration of polysaccharides (High+Medium+low) increase with harvest date as well. The concentration of glycerol also increased with harvest date. The sensory attribute went from less ripe red fruits, fresh green to more ripe red fruits and tropical fruits. Partial least squares regression identified that many sensory attributes were strongly associated with the compositional data, providing evidence of wine chemical components which are important to wine sensory properties and consumer preferences, and which change as the grapes used for winemaking ripen. Practical implications The insights about the harvest time with sensory attributes and chemical composition can be used to make the desired style of wine according to the market demand. Originality/value This is the first study on the native Corsican grape variety Sciacarellu that combines both Chemical and sensory analysis for a Rosé wine.