The Australian Wine Research Institute

A thorough knowledge of the relationship between wine composition and aroma/flavour, including mouth-feel, is pivotal in understanding grape and wine quality.

The large body of research conducted at the AWRI and overseas has given excellent insight regarding how numerous compounds contribute to wine aroma and flavour; how they are formed;, and how they are degraded. Nevertheless, many flavour properties, both desirable and undesirable, remain inadequately explained. These flavours include many important varietal and bottle-age characteristics, including those associated with the influence of oak, wine microorganisms and oxidation, as well as undesirable taints, ‘off-flavours’, ‘reduced’ and ‘green’ sensory attributes.

Improved knowledge of quality determining components, is fundamental to enable viticultural and winemaking practices to be optimized.

Projects:

• 1,8-cineole (eucalyptol) in commercial Australian wine
• Analysis of wine thiols and precursors
• Identification of key aroma compounds in Shiraz grapes and wine
• Wine body
• Interactions between wine components
• Nitrogen in the vineyard
• Wine taints and off-flavours

Additional links:

• Order AWRI Staff Publications