Ethyl phenylacetate as the probable responsible of honey-like character in Aglianico del Vulture wine

Aglianico del Vulture wines are typical and promising production of Basilicata Province. Nevertheless, its potential quality is often affected by the presence of a strong honey-like odour. This problem was studied using SPME-GC-MS and SPMEGC- O; ethyl phenylacetate (EPhA), was identified as the main responsible of this olfactory character. This volatile compound is detectable in all wines, but it is particularly abundant in Aglianico wines; its sensory threshold was determined. Moreover, in order to study the relationship between EPhA concentration and wine sensory perception, another sensory test was performed on Aglianico wines affected by different levels of defect: an Attribute Difference Test. EPhA concentrations higher than the detected sensory threshold (about 70 ?g L-1) gave to the wines a strong honey-like character, that seemed to compromise its pleasantness. Further deepening are necessary to study the main variables connected to the formation of this compound in Aglianico, and to suggest possible technological approaches to reduce the problem.