Sensory perception of tartariv, malic, & lactic acids in model wine
The sensory characteristics of wine are driven in large part by its acidity. Acidity is typically perceived as sour, but its other sensory impacts are not as well documented. Many wine industry professionals believe that each acid has different aromas, but this has not been well studied. Here, we made up five hydroethanolic solutions of approximately equal pH and TA using tartaric acid, lactic acid, and/or malic acid, and presented them to a panel of wine professionals. Panelists were asked to evaluate the model wines for aroma characteristics, then rate the sourness of each on a magnitude scale. There was no consensus as to which acid was more sour, or if any acid had unique sensory characteristics. However, lactic acid, described in many wine sensory texts as having a yogurty aroma, was not perceived as different from the other acids. Future studies should focus on larger sample sizes, repeated trials, and higher acid concentrations.