Oxygen and sulfur dioxide additions to Sauvignon blanc must: effect on must and wine composition

Sauvignon blanc wines often have complex aromatic profiles with flavours ranging from herbaceous to tropical. The formation of volatiles during fermentation is critical for the aromatic bouquet of a wine. Oxygen and sulfur dioxide additions to the must can influence the formation of these compounds. However, the effect of different, controlled oxygen and sulfur dioxide additions to Sauvignon blanc must and the changes it induces in the corresponding wines has not been investigated in detail. The present study evaluated how controlled oxygen and sulfur dioxide additions to Sauvignon blanc must affects the levels of volatile and non-volatile compounds, including the methoxypyrazines, volatile thiols, esters, alcohols, fatty acids, monoterpenes, glutathione and phenolics. It was evident that the presence of sulfur dioxide resulted in wines with higher concentrations of certain compounds. Copyright (c) 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.