Relationship between potentiometric measurements, sensorial analysis, and some substances responsible for aroma degradation of white wines.

Oxidative degradation of white wines can be described sensorially as developing from a loss at positive aroma characteristics, through the development of negative aromas to a linel stage of chromatic alterations. This work attempts to relate the oxidation "status" evaluate by potentiometric titrations, with sensorial degradation and the levels of substances responsible for "off-flavors", such as methional and phenylacetaldehyde. The potentiometric titration employed measures the most powerful antioxidants of white wines (e.g., those which more rapidly consume oxygen). Considering that aromatic precedes chromatic degradation, resistance to oxidation (ROX) constitutes a useful indicator of resistance to oxidation. Sensorial degradation (ID), potentiometric measures, and volatiles were determined both in samples submitted to a "forced aging" protocol and normal aged white wines. High correlation values were observed between ROX and the ID, in both sets (r > 0.87). ID is better explained by ROX values than by the indicated wine age or by the "degree of browning" (Abs = 420 nm). It was also observed that in samples with ROX values higher than 10, the concentration of methional and phenylacetaldehyde were above their respective odor threshold. Finally, it was observed that there is a relationship between oxygen consumption and the respective ROX. Although these results seem very promising, they needed to be further complemented in order to estimate the shelf life of a white wine using potentiometric titrations.