Issue link: http://winesandvines.uberflip.com/i/172581
WineEast EasternWineLab_Mar09.qxp In 2009, titratable acidity was adjusted to 6.5 g/L through the addition of potassium carbonate prior to cold stabilization; in 2010, the same acid level was achieved with the addition of tartaric acid post-cold stabilization. The wines were screened for faults by an expert panel prior to bottling in standard 750ml glass bottles closed with screwcaps. Consumer wine preference. For each vintage, wines produced from the four treatments were compared through preference ranking. Twenty-six sensory panelists were selected from a list of volunteer subjects maintained by the Cornell Enology Extension Lab based on their availability and frequency of red wine consumption; all panelists reported consuming red wine at least once per month. As we were not interested in preferences for one vintage over another, wines produced in 2009 and 2010 were evaluated in two separate flights of four wines each; each panelist evaluated both flights during a single session, with a five-minute break between flights. Wines from both vintages were evaluated over two days during late July and early August 2011. Panelists were seated in sensory booths and presented with 30ml samples of each wine, served at room temperature in 300ml ISO tasting glasses labeled with random three-digit numbers and covered with petri dish lids. Wine serving order was randomized within and across participants. Panelists were asked to smell all the samples prior to indicating aroma preference by ranking wines from one (most favored) to four (least favored). Wines were not ranked for gustatory properties, as research wines are generally unfinished so that viticultural differences among treatments are not masked by cellar practices such as oak exposure or tannin additions, and in our experience unfinished red hybrid wines are generally poorly rated by consumer panels. Results Yield components and vine growth. Yield components were minimally impacted by training system or vine spacing in 2009, likely due to vine age; vines had been minimally cropped during their second growing season to encourage vegetative growth, so there was little carryover effect of treatments from the previous growing season. In 2010, vines in the HWC system produced approximately 1.6 tons per acre more fruit than vines growing in the LVSP system by producing bigger (not more) clusters. Yield was 0.6 tons per acre greater in vines spaced at 8 feet compared to those spaced at 6 feet as a result of having larger clusters. Pruning weight was 0.9 pounds per foot lower in the 8-foot treatment, and the crop-load ratio (an indication of vine balance) was greater. Grafted vines produced 0.6 tons per acre more fruit, and the crop-load ratio was higher compared to own-rooted vines. Fruit composition. Training system and spacing had little impact on fruit composition in either year of the study, but fruit from grafted vines was 0.4 g/L lower in TA compared to own-rooted vines, while root system had no impact on soluble solids or pH (see table on page 92). Consumer wine preference. Sensory analysis of the wines using a tool called rank sum analysis indicated that wines from the 2009 vintage produced from the HWC/8' treatment were significantly preferred to wines produced from the LVSP/6' treatment based on aromatic preference. Wines from the two HWC treatments were ranked first and third preferentially, while wines from the two LVSP 1/22/09 9:47 AM Page 1 EASTERN WINE LABS Serving the Analytical needs of East Coast Wineries WWW.EASTERNWINELABS.COM Ph 609-859-4302 Cell 609-668-2854 chemist@easternwinelabs.com AOAC Member Need a Better Cork Supplier? All Natural Cork Closures Fresh Corks Directly From Portugal 4th Generation Family Cork Producer Free Branding Free Shipping Free iS Better Ask about our Progressive Discounts Experience the Slimcork® Advantage CALL TODAY phone (203) 681-7743 Cell (860) 335-0667 email: reliablecork@gmail.com • www.reliablecorksolutions.com Win es & Vin es O C TO B ER 20 13 93