Aroma chemical signatures of wine geographical origin in relationship to grape variety, sensory characteristics, and technological factors. A case study on Valpolicella red wines

The connection between a wine and its geographical origin is of great relevance in the context of wine production and marketing. Notions such as wine typicality and identity (at the foundation of Protected Designation of Origin), cru and terroir, all of great importance in the wine market, are based on the ability of a wine to express a \u2018sense of place\u2019. The relationship between a wine and its geographical origin is in large part associated with distinctive sensory characteristics, aroma in particular, characterizing wines from specific areas. From a chemical point of view, this implies the existence of unique and specific chemical profiles underlying recognizable sensory features of wine identity and typicality. In spite of the many studies aimed at characterizing the wines of different wine regions, the chemical bases of such aroma typicality are still poorly understood. The main aim of this study was therefore to investigate the existence of unique aroma signatures of Valpolicella Corvina and Corvinone wines from specific geographical origin. For this, grape from five different vineyards were harvested and vinified during three consecutive vintages, and the wines obtained were submitted to chemical and sensory analyses aimed at identifying quantifiable chemical markers and sensory parameters. Although large quantitative differences exist across different vintages, results highlighted the existence of clear chemical patterns distinguishing the wines from each vineyard. We define these aroma chemical signatures of geographical origins. The main drivers associated with these chemical signatures were terpenes and norisoprenoids, but also compounds mostly associated with fermentation, such as branched chain ethyl esters and acetate esters. The fact that the drivers of distinction were deriving both from grape and fermentation imply that the link between a wine\u2019s composition and its geographical origin is the result of complex interactions between grape composition and yeast response to grape related factors. Among these, grape concentration of aroma precursors and YAN play a central role. The work also allowed to highlight patterns of odor similarities across the wines, providing evidence also for a sensory dimension of wine geographical identity. Evaluation of the impact of different S. cerevisiae strains on aroma signatures of geographical origin indicated that area of origin has a greater impact than yeast. In fact, from a chemical point of view, most volatile compounds that are thought to influence wine aroma were primarily affected by grape composition. Sensory analysis confirmed that grape composition induces greater differences than yeast strain too. Lastly, since a period of ageing is mandatory for most Valpolicella wines according to the product specification, the influence of aging on the aroma chemical signatures of the different wines was studied. Despite strong transformations of volatile chemical profile, aged wines retained an aroma chemical signature that was characteristic of their geographical origin. The results of this part of the work also allowed to clarify the role of different possible precursors in the formation of the potent balsamic/minty odorants 1,4- and 1,8-cineole during wine aging

Users’ search mechanisms and risks of inappropriateness in healthcare innovations : the role of literacy and trust in professional contexts

In the context of professional service organizations, user engagement with knowledge search might generate significant risks of inappropriateness to innovation processes. Previous research suggests that professionals would then keep users at arms' length, controlling the design and implementation of innovations internally. This study overcomes this view investigating how professional service organizations can enable users' knowledge search while controlling for the risks of inappropriateness. Combining a qualitative research on 5 innovation processes in healthcare organizations with quantitative research on 110 service users, our findings highlight that professional providers, such as senior clinicians, shaped their tactics according to the ‘threats’ of laggards, i.e. users searching knowledge outside of professional logics of appropriateness; more than to the opportunities of lead-user communities. Professional providers sought to “activate” users' engagement with knowledge search by investing on their literacy, i.e. showing the basics of the logic of appropriateness informing their decision; and on trust relationships, i.e. becoming transparent on the criteria of knowledge selection during the innovation processes

Occurrence, biogenesis and sensory impact of methyl salicylate in Lugana wines

Lugana wines are produced in the winemaking regions of Veneto and Lombardia, employing Turbiana grapes grown in the proximity of the Garda Lake. Methyl salicylate (MeSA) has been reported as a potentially impactful compound in Lugana wines. The aim of this study was to evaluate the occurrence of MeSA in commercial Lugana wines, elucidate its formation during winemaking and aging, and assess its potential contribution to Lugana aroma. MeSA was quantified in a total of 93 samples including Lugana, Verdicchio (another Italian white wine produced in central Italy using Turbiana grapes locally referred to as Verdicchio), as well as other Italian white and red wines such as Corvina, Corvinone, Garganega, Sangiovese, Pinot nero, Pinot grigio. The results showed that Lugana showed an average concentration of MeSA of 50.6 µg/L, Verdicchio of 33.4 µg/L, while the rest of the wines showed concentration below 5 µg/L. These results indicate that MeSA can be considered a varietal marker of Lugana wines, as well as more in general of wines obtained from the Turbiana/Verdicchio varietal cluster. Concentration of free MeSA in Lugana grape must is however low, and experimental fermentations showed that MeSA was largely formed by yeast activity during alcoholic fermentation, which hydrolyzes the glycosidic precursors of MeSA present in the must to release the aglycone. Additional MeSA can be formed in wine during aging by acid hydrolysis of the glycosidic precursors. Finally, the olfactory threshold of MeSA in a commercial Lugana was estimated by BET method at 38 µg/L, suggesting that MeSA could play a role in Lugana aroma

Temperature affects organic acid, terpene and stilbene metabolisms in wine grapes during postharvest dehydration

The partial dehydration of grapes after harvest is a traditional practice in several winegrowing regions that leads to the production of high quality wines. Postharvest dehydration (also known as withering) has a significant impact on the overall metabolism and physiology of the berry, yielding a final product that is richer in sugars, solutes, and aroma compounds. These changes are, at least in part, the result of a stress response, which is controlled at transcriptional level, and are highly dependent on the grape water loss kinetics and the environmental parameters of the facility where grapes are stored to wither. However, it is difficult to separate the effects driven by each single environmental factor from those of the dehydration rate, especially discerning the effect of temperature that greatly affects the water loss kinetics. To define the temperature influence on grape physiology and composition during postharvest dehydration, the withering of the red-skin grape cultivar Corvina (Vitis vinifera) was studied in two conditioned rooms set at distinct temperatures and at varying relative humidity to maintain an equal grape water loss rate. The effect of temperature was also studied by withering the grapes in two unconditioned facilities located in geographic areas with divergent climates. Technological, LC-MS and GC-MS analyses revealed higher levels of organic acids, flavonols, terpenes and cis- and trans-resveratrol in the grapes withered at lower temperature conditions, whereas higher concentrations of oligomeric stilbenes were found in the grapes stored at higher temperatures. Lower expression of the malate dehydrogenase and laccase, while higher expression of the phenylalanine ammonia-lyase, stilbene synthase and terpene synthase genes were detected in the grapes withered at lower temperatures. Our findings provide insights into the importance of the temperature in postharvest withering and its effect on the metabolism of the grapes and on the quality of the derived wines

Reconstruction of Simplified Microbial Consortia to Modulate Sensory Quality of Kombucha Tea

Kombucha is a fermented tea with a long history of production and consumption. It has been gaining popularity thanks to its refreshing taste and assumed beneficial properties. The microbial community responsible for tea fermentation-acetic acid bacteria (AAB), yeasts, and lactic acid bacteria (LAB)-is mainly found embedded in an extracellular cellulosic matrix located at the liquid-air interphase. To optimize the production process and investigate the contribution of individual strains, a collection of 26 unique strains was established from an artisanal-scale kombucha production; it included 13 AAB, 12 yeasts, and one LAB. Among these, distinctive strains, namely Novacetimonas hansenii T7SS-4G1, Brettanomyces bruxellensis T7SB-5W6, and Zygosaccharomyces parabailii T7SS-4W1, were used in mono- and co-culture fermentations. The monocultures highlighted important species-specific differences in the metabolism of sugars and organic acids, while binary co-cultures demonstrated the roles played by bacteria and yeasts in the production of cellulose and typical volatile acidity. Aroma complexity and sensory perception were comparable between reconstructed (with the three strains) and native microbial consortia. This study provided a broad picture of the strains' metabolic signatures, facilitating the standardization of kombucha production in order to obtain a product with desired characteristics by modulating strains presence or abundance

Monoterpenoids and norisoprenoids in Italian red wines

This work aimed to investigate the occurrence of different monoterpenoids and norisoprenoids in 10 monovarietal Italian red wines (Aglianico, Cannonau, Corvina, Montepulciano, Nebbiolo, Nerello, Primitivo, Raboso, Sangiovese and Teroldego) from 12 regions across Italy. The wines were produced in their terroirs following the oenological practices and legislation of the respective appellation. Data showed that different wine varietals were characterised by peculiar profiles of monoterpenoids and norisoprenoids. Montepulciano and Cannonau wines showed highest levels of nerol, terpinolene, α-terpineol, limonene and of the norisoprenoids β-damascenone, α-ionone, TPB, TDN and vitispirane. Aglianico, Corvina, Nebbiolo and Primitivo were characterised by relatively high levels of linear monoterpene alcohols such as linalool and geraniol. Sangiovese samples from Tuscany could be differentiated from those of Romagna, with the former characterised by a higher content of α-terpinene and the latter of γ-terpinene. The monoterpene 1,4-cineole was present in Montepulciano, Raboso and Sangiovese at potentially relevant olfactory levels, its occurrence associated with higher content of terpinen-1-ol acting as a potential precursor under wine acid condition

Short-term versus long-term benefits: balanced sustainability framework and research propositions

Sustainability research has been expanding rapidly during recent decades. Such research takes various forms with the identification of mixed results. Even though there are several review articles on sustainability with valuable insights, the time dimension aspect of sustainability is totally missing in addition to lack of well-developed framework. This paper systematically reviews previous sustainability studies published in the refereed scientific journals for the past two decades to understand the evolution of sustainability issues in the business context and solutions proposed until now. The study categorizes the popular sustainability practices into short- and long-term practices based on the time effect, and link them with different forms of organizational capabilities and sustainability performance. The paper further proposes a two-dimensional sustainability framework that incorporates practices, capabilities and performance, and the balancing issues between short- and long-term sustainability. At the end, it suggests potential research directions for future research as well

Approaches to the classification of wine aroma ageing potential. Applications to the case of terpenoids in Valpolicella red wines

Valpolicella is an Italian wine-producing region famous for premium red wines. Valpolicella wines often undergo a minimum ageing period between 1 and 4 years, according to the wine type. Therefore, identifying relevant types of aroma precursors and the related chemical mechanisms behind aroma development during ageing is of great importance for Valpolicella wines. This study assessed free and glycosidically-bound terpene compounds of Valpolicella wines as potential precursors of different ageing-related terpenes using a model ageing experimental approach. Results showed that terpene profiles changed substantially with ageing. The occurrence of cyclic terpenes (p-menthane-1,8-diol, 1,8-cineole and 1,4-cineole) was mostly associated with the content of free monoterpenols, linalool in particular, in young wines, whereas glycosylated monoterpenols appeared to play a minor role. Accumulation of cineoles was strongly modulated with pH; in fact, low pH values promoted higher cineole yields

Influence of grape composition and origin, yeast strain and spontaneous fermentation on aroma profile of Corvina and Corvinone wines

Volatile composition and sensory properties of Corvina and Corvinone red wines in relationship to grape origin, yeast strain and inoculated vs. spontaneous fermentation were investigated. Experimental wines were produced using freshly harvested grapes of the two varieties coming from two different areas. The results indicated that, by affecting grape composition, grape origin had a primary impact on wine aroma chemical and sensory properties. From a chemical point of view, this effect was associated not only with grape-derived compounds but also to some extent with fermentation-derived esters. Yeast strains influence was mostly associated with higher alcohols and certain esters, whereas the main characteristic of spontaneous fermentation was increased concentration of ethyl acetate. Sensory analysis confirmed the greater impact of grape origin compared to yeast strain, indicating clusters of odor similarities which were mostly associated with variations in the content of ethyl esters, C6 alcohols, and norisoprenoids in Corvina and of norisoprenoids, cyclic terpenes, acetate esters, and ethyl acetate in Corvinone, respectively

Professionals' use of ICT in hospitals: the interplay between institutional and rational factors

This study gathers novel evidence on the interplay between the organisational and the individual mechanisms that affect the continued use of Electronic Medical Record (EMR) in hospitals. Our model integrates mechanisms inspired by both Institutional Theory (i.e., organisational expectations, change culture and alignment of meaning systems) and Technology Acceptance Models (i.e., perceived usefulness and ease of use). Tested on hospital professionals, our results point out the predominant role played by rational, individual-level mechanisms and the interplay with organisational expectations, as the only institutional factor that affects the continued use through both direct and mediate relationships