Differentiation of white wines by their aromatic index

Wines from four Galician white varieties (Albarino, Loureira, Treixadura an d Dona Branca) with 1992 to 1995 vintages have been analysed, in order to o btain their characterisation by the aromatic index. Monoterpenes, higher al cohols, ethyl esters, fatty acids, acetates, volatile phenols and heavy sul phur compounds were analysed by gas chromatography alone and together with mass spectrometry. Flavour compositions were similar for each wine obtained from grapes harvested in different years. Comparisons between odour unit v alues (OUV) from each wine variety and from these vintages were similar. Ho wever, odour profiles of Galician wines from these years were clearly diffe rentiated. A correct differentiation could be achieved between samples elab orated with different varieties, when principal component and linear discri minant analysis were applied to the OUV data. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V . All rights reserved.