Influence Evaluation of Enzyme Treatments on Aroma Profile of White Wines

Improving aroma profile represents one of the principal goals in winemaking. This paper focuses to evaluate the influence of enzymes applied before alcoholic fermentation of Feteasca regala and Sauvignon blanc wines, even if most studies analyze their use in different winemaking stages. Feteasca regala wines are described by higher proportions (1.07-4.28%) of ethyl octanoate (exotic fruits), 3-methylbutyl acetate (pear, banana), hexanoic acid (creamy, phenolic, exotic fruits), propan-2-yl acetate (ripe fruits, banana), and ethyl decanoate (floral, fruity, woody), while Sauvignon blanc wines are distinguished by significant proportions (2.77-42.15%) of 3-methylbutan-1-ol (exotic fruits), acetic acid (vegetal, sour), 1-phenylethanol (floral, honey), and diethyl butanedioate (fruity, floral). Variables as 3-methylbutyl acetate-ethyl decanoate, ethyl decanoate-hexanoic acid (r > 0.8) showed proportional levels in Feteasca regala wines. In Sauvignon blanc samples, positive correlations were observed for 2-ethyl hydroxypropanoate-diethyl butanedioate or 2,3-butanediol-ethyl 4-hydroxybutanoate (r > 0.7). Data confirmed a significant influence of enzymes on wine's aroma profile (p < 0.05). The higher proportions of the most volatile compounds were obtained in samples treated with pectinases, for both varieties. In correlation with the sensory analysis, these variants showed the lowest intensity for negative descriptors such as phenolic sensation, the mineral or bitter taste, demonstrating that pectinases can give more acceptable results regarding the sensory perception compared to beta-glycosidases.