INFLUENCE OF SUGAR AND ACID CONCENTRATIONS TO SWEETNESS THRESHOLD OF STILL WHITE WINES

Abstract

The primary objective of this research was to determine the threshold of sensory detection of wine sweetness (sweetness threshold) modelled by adding a sucrose solution in dry white wines and identification of the possible influence of acidity on the wine sweetness threshold. The study was done on 11 samples of regional dry still white wines. The sugar content and total acidity of wines were measured in a laboratory, followed with the sensory evaluation of their quality (OIV rating scale up to 100 points). Seven experienced wine consumers tasted untreated dry wines and the same wines with modelled sugar concentrations trying to find the lowest concentration of sugar by which the sweetness of wine was undoubtedly recognized. The obtained results showed that the wine evaluators have registered wine sweetness thresholds at relatively low concentrations of sugar (the lowest 3.79 g/L, the highest 6.07 g/L). Analysis of the relations between the acid contents of the wines and the wines' sweetness thresholds pointed out their high positive correlation (correlation coefficient +0.786). This is in accordance with some previously published researches concluding that the sensory recognition of the sweetness of wine is conditioned by their acidity, i.e. that wine acidity to some extent suppress its sweetness.