Grape Chardonnay

Figure 5.7 Evolution of DMS (a) and ME (b) during the period 1998-2005 in a straight line model for varietal wines from grape Chardonnay (C), Merlot (M), Marzemino (Ma) and Teroldego (T) four wines per vintage were considered...

Downey, M., Harvey, J., and Robinson, S., Synthesis of flavonols and expression of flavonol synthase genes in the developing grape berries of Shiraz and Chardonnay (Vitis vinifera L.). Aust. Grape Wine Res. 9, 110, 2003. 

Maturation regimes vary from as little change as possible in many white and pink wines (stainless steel tanks, cool storage, minimum time) to considerable modification in red table and a few white table wines. Fermentation and storage in fairly new 200-L barrels for about 6 mo is not uncommon for Chardonnay and white Burgundy wines. Many robust red table wines such as those from Cabernet Sauvignon grapes are often stored similarly, after fermentation and initial clarification, for up to about 3 yr in such barrels. 

The North Coast area represents 20 percent of California s total wine-grape acreage. Its plantings of Chardonnay, Sauvignon blanc, White Riesling, and Gewurztraminer represent a substantial portion of the state crop of these white varieties (Table IV). 

For the production of white wine, it is almost universally accepted that a relatively clear juice of 0.5-2.0 percent suspended solids is desired for fermentation. This is achieved by separating the juice from the skins, pulp, and seeds. Many of the small wineries use a horizontal basket press to receive their fresh must. These presses utilize either an inflatable bladder or a movable piston to press the crushed grapes. In many cases, the must is pumped directly to these presses from the crusher-stemmer. An exception to this method of operation in small wineries is the case where skin contact is desired. Several wineries will allow maceration for from four hours to twenty-four hours for V. vinifera cultivars Chardonnay and Gewiirztraimer. 

Francis, I.L., Sefton, M.A., Williams. P.J. (1992). Sensory descriptive analysis of the aroma of hydrolysed flavour precursor fractions from Semilion, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Wane grape juices. J. Sci Food Agric., 59, 511-520. 

The benzenemethanethiol content of the Chardonnay wines, irrespective of their provenance, was two- or threefold higher than that of wines made from the other grape varieties studied (Fig. 8B.2). Sauvignon blanc wines from the Loire Valley and Bordeaux, as well as Semilion from Bordeaux, had comparable benzenemethanethiol concentrations (10-15 ng/L). The red Bordeaux wines analyzed, from various different vintages and appellations, had benzenemethanethiol concentrations around 10 ng/L. 

Spillman, P. 1., Sefton, M. A., Gawel, R. (2004b). The contribution of volatile compounds derived during oak barrel maturation to the aroma of a Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon wine. Aatst. J. Grape Wine Res., 10, 227-235. 

EgUnton, J. M., McWilUam, S. J., Eogarty, M. W., Erands, 1. L., Kwiatkowski, M. J., H0j, P. B., Henschke, P. A. (2000) The effect of Saccharomyces bayanus-mediaHtd fermentation on the chemical composition and aroma profile of Chardonnay wine. Australian Journal of Grape and Wine Research, 6, 190-196. 

Ricardo da Silva, J. M., Bourzeix, M., Cheynier, V, Moutounet, M. (1991a). Pro-cyanidin composition of Chardonnay, Mauzac and Grenache blanc grapes. Vitis, 30, 245-252. 

For the non-floral white grape varieties Chardonnay, Semilion and Sauvignon... 

An examination of hydrolysates produced by glycosidase enzyme or pH 3.2 acid treatment of reversed-phase isolates frcm juices of "non-floral " itis vinifera vars. Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Semilion demonstrated that these grapes contain conjugated forms of monoterpenes, C, norisoprenoids, and shikimic acid-derived metabolites. The volatile conpounds obtained hydrolytically from the conjugates were produced in sufficient concentration to permit ready analysis by GC/MS. The products of pH 3.2 hydrolysis have sensory significance when assessed in a neutral wine. The study further develops the precursor analysis approach as a technique to facilitate research into varietally specific constituents of grapes. 

The Monoterpenes. Monoterpenes are not major components of nonfloral grapes (1 ) although some of these compounds were present in each of the three varieties. In a previous survey of monoterpene diols in floral eind non-floral grapes, (Z)- and (E)-2,6-dimethylocta-2,7-diene-l,6-diols 11 and 12 were not found in the Chardonnay samples examined ( ). Observation of these diols in the Chardonnay here, and reports of their occurrence in several other Chardonnay clones (7), indicates that these compounds 11 and 12 are common monoterpenes of grapes. No products obviously derivable from a conjugate of diols 11 and 12 were seen in the acid hydrolysates, vAiich is consistent with the previously reported stability of the 1,6-diol system in these compounds ( ). 

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