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Review
. 2021 May 29;10(6):1239.
doi: 10.3390/foods10061239.

The Flavor Chemistry of Fortified Wines-A Comprehensive Approach

Teresa Abreu  1 , Rosa Perestrelo  1 , Matteo Bordiga  2 , Monica Locatelli  2 , Jean Daniel Coïsson  2 , José S Câmara  1   2   3
Affiliations
Review

The Flavor Chemistry of Fortified Wines-A Comprehensive Approach

Teresa Abreu et al. Foods. .

Abstract

For centuries, wine has had a fundamental role in the culture and habits of different civilizations. Amongst numerous wine types that involve specific winemaking processes, fortified wines possess an added value and are greatly honored worldwide. This review comprises the description of the most important characteristics of the main worldwide fortified wines-Madeira, Port, Sherry, Muscat, and Vermouth-structured in three parts. The first part briefly describes the chemistry of wine flavor, the origin of typical aroma (primary, secondary and tertiary), and the influencing parameters during the winemaking process. The second part describes some specificities of worldwide fortified wine, highlighting the volatile composition with particular emphasis on aroma compounds. The third part reports the volatile composition of the most important fortified wines, including the principal characteristics, vinification process, the evolution of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) during the aging processes, and the most important odor descriptors. Given the worldwide popularity and the economic relevance of fortified wines, much research should be done to better understand accurately the reactions and mechanisms that occur in different stages of winemaking, mainly during the oxidative and thermal aging.

Keywords: Madeira wines; aging; aroma origin; enology; flavor; fortified wines; odor descriptors; vinification process.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Most important influencing parameters on wine quality and aroma.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Sherry and Port’s winemaking processes.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Sherry and Port’s winemaking processes.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Some varietal compounds identified in pulp and skin of white V. vinifera L. grapes used in the production of Madeira wine [12,51].
Figure 5
Figure 5
Schematic diagram of the winemaking process of Madeira wine.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Characteristic aroma notes in young and old Madeira wines.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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