THE EFFECT OF ETHANOL CONCENTRATION ON THE TEMPORAL PERCEPTION OF VISCOSITY AND DENSITY IN WHITE WINE

Time-intensity (T-l) methodology and a trained panel were used to char acterize the perceived intensities of viscosity and density in a dealc oholized white wine over a concentration series of added ethanol (0, 3 %, 7%, 10%, 12%, and 14% v/v). While ethanol concentration was found t o be highly correlated with maximum perceived intensity and physical m easurements of viscosity and density, perceived viscosity and density maxima were best described by quadratic and cubic models, respectively . Intensity maxima for viscosity and density occurred at 10% and 12% v /v ethanol concentration, respectively, although wines of 7% to 14% et hanol were not statistically differentiated for either attribute. This is somewhat surprising given anecdotal comments espousing the positiv e fullness characters of so called 'high alcohol' wines. Based on the combined results from correlation and principal component analyses, th e T-l curve-derived parameters important in explaining perceived visco sity and density in white wine appear to be maximum intensity, persist ence of maximum intensity, rate of increase, rate of decrease (for den sity), and area under the curve.