Use of Sensory Analysis to Investigate the Influence of Climate Chambers and Other Process Variables in the Production of Sweet Wines

In this study, a climate chamber, as an alternative method, has been used to dry raisins and the sensory profiles of the sweet sherry wines obtained have been evaluated. Other important factors, namely grape variety, vintage, vinification conditions, as well as the ageing method and its length of time, have also been considered. When heavy rainfall had been registered, the musts extracted from grapes dried under controlled conditions in a climate chamber showed a lower intensity of the musty off-odor compared to those elaborated with sun-dried grapes. The wine fermented at low temperature with Saccharomyces bayanus scored the highest in citric and floral notes, and this was preferred over all the other wines that were evaluated. The wines aged in oak barrels were preferred to both, wines aged in the presence of oak chips as well as those aged without any wood contact. The use of climate chambers to dry the grapes that are going to be used for the elaboration of sweet wines appears to be an advantageous alternative to the traditional method, since it allows a more precise control of the process and highly valued sweet wines from a sensory point of view are obtained thereby.