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Review
. 2023 Jun 30;12(13):2558.
doi: 10.3390/foods12132558.

The Fingerprint of Fortified Wines-From the Sui Generis Production Processes to the Distinctive Aroma

Rosa Perestrelo  1 , Yassine Jaouhari  2 , Teresa Abreu  1 , Mariangie M Castillo  1 , Fabiano Travaglia  2 , Jorge A M Pereira  1 , José S Câmara  1   3 , Matteo Bordiga  2
Affiliations
Review

The Fingerprint of Fortified Wines-From the Sui Generis Production Processes to the Distinctive Aroma

Rosa Perestrelo et al. Foods. .

Abstract

The fortified wines that originated in Mediterranean countries have, in common, a high alcohol content to increase their shelf-life during long journeys to northern Europe and the American continent. Nowadays, the world's better-known wines, including Marsala, Madeira, Port, and Sherry, due to their high alcoholic content, sweet taste, and intense aromatic profile, are designated as dessert wines and sometimes served as aperitifs. This review gives an overview of the traditional vinification process, including the microbiota and autochthonous yeast, as well as the regulatory aspects of the main Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish fortified wines. The winemaking process is essential to defining the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that characterize the aroma of each fortified wine, giving them an organoleptic fingerprint and "terroir" characteristics. The various volatile and odorous compounds found in fortified wines during the oxidative aging are discussed in the last part of this review.

Keywords: aroma descriptors; fortified wines; sui generis; winemaking process.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The important parameters related to fortified wine quality and acceptance by consumers.
Figure 2
Figure 2
The most important chemical groups responsible for the wine’s primary aroma and the corresponding odour descriptors.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Main secondary metabolites produced by yeast metabolism.
Figure 4
Figure 4
The chemical structures and odour descriptors of the most important furanic compounds found in Madeira wines.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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