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72 WINES&VINES May 2018 GRAPEGROWING PRACTICAL WINERY & VINEYARD the perception of fruitiness brought by 3MH with moderate concentrations. 26 As soon as elevated concentrations of acetaldehyde were present the interaction changed from enhanc- ing to suppressing. A mutual suppressive effect was seen be- tween IBMP and 3MH at specific concentra- tions. 3 The contribution of the volatile thiols to the green aroma in wine has been observed in various studies. In a pressing study, the decrease in volatile thiol concentration in press fractions of higher inflation led to a decrease in the "fresh green capsicum" aroma even though there was no change in the IBMP concentration. 27 Tailor your thiols to your desire Volatile thiols plays an integral role in the aroma of Sauvignon Blanc wines and poten- tially other cultivars. Various techniques, some explained in this article, are available for the winemaker to optimize the formation of these odorous compounds, however a greater under- standing of the formation of the precursors and the reactivity of the compounds is needed to be able to fully take advantage of these tools. This article might be able to equip you with the necessary knowledge to tailor the thiols to your desire. Even though volatile thiols can potentially be an overpowering attribute in a wine, in most cases it participates in complex aromatic inter- actions. These interactions lead to overall impressions of the wine aroma and perhaps can bring complexity to an otherwise one- dimensional wine. Thus, the presence of cer- tain aroma compounds does not guarantee the clear perception of the accompanied attributes. Assuming a certain aromatic profile based on a few chemical compounds would thus lead to incorrect conclusions. Another mistake would be to assume that all Sauvignon Blanc grapes behave the same. For example, harvesting studies from different sites showed some agreement in results, how- ever occasionally the treatment did not lead to enhanced thiols. 19 This should be kept in consideration to conduct small scale studies before opting for larger volumes to save time and money. A great wine starts in the vineyard. If the potential is not there to start with, the chances of achieving significant volatile thiol levels are slim. Therefore, it is wise to keep track of high thiol producing blocks between vintages and primarily use those grapes for production of high thiol wines. Some of this information is hard to com- prehend as it will go against what has been considered for years to be good winemaking practice (especially for Sauvignon Blanc). South African Sauvignon Blanc is considered to be the mid-way point between New Zealand and the Loire (France) and innovative wine- makers should push the envelope in order to stand out. Dr. Carien Coetzee completed her Ph.D. at the University of Stellenbosch in South Africa. Her studies evolved around the effect of oxidation on Sauvignon Blanc wines with a central theme of aromatic compounds and their stability. She is currently employed at Vinlab, an accredited laboratory supporting the South African wine industry. Winery Planning and Design, Edition 17 Dr. Bruce Zoecklein, Editor This electronic publication offers more than 1,500 pages of planning and design features of interest to both wine and cider producers. Topics Include: • Business planning • Construction and production economics • Winery design considerations • Sustainable designs and practices • Energy and water use • Equipment • Refrigeration • Caves and gravity flow • Wastewater management • Sanitation, winery labs, HACCP planning To review a Table of Contents, visit vtwines.info NEW EDITION Priced at $198 plus shipping. Order at practicalwinery.com, click on Bookshelf. Gomberg, Fredrikson & Associates Market Research For e Wine Industry Products include: · The Gomberg-Fredrikson Report: "The Executive Marketing Report of the Wine Industry" · WineData Wine Pricing Report: Competitive supplier pricing for more than 13,400 products · Distributor Market Service: Gain a competitive advantage by analyzing your position in the wholesale market www.gfawine.com • 707.940.3922 • inquiry@gfawine.com We perform extensive market research and data collection to create the wine industry's leading databases and reports The references for this article are available online at winesandvines.com/features. Even though volatile thiols can potentially be an overpowering attribute in a wine, in most cases it participates in complex aromatic interactions … and perhaps can bring complexity.