Diacetyl in Australian dry red wines and its significance in wine quality release_nnfhiw3a3bec7d2ozq76xc6kki

Abstract

The diacetyl content of 466 Australian dry red table wines ranged from less than 0.1 ppm to 7.5 ppm with a mean of 2.4 ppm. Malo-lactic fermentation had occurred in 71 per cent of the wines, which had a mean diacetyl level of 2.8 ppm. In wines which had not undergone malo-lactic fermentation the mean diacetyl level 1.3 ppm. Taste threshold tests showed that a difference of as little as 1 ppm could be detected in a light dry red wine containing 0.3 ppm diacetyl. In a full flavoured darker wine of higher quality containing 3 ppm the minimum detectable addition was 1.3 ppm. It is considered that diacetyl in amounts up to 2 to 4 ppm, depending on the wine, improved quality by adding complexity to the flavour. Above these levels the aroma of diacetyl became identifiable as such and resulted in a reduction in quality. The diacetyl content of a range of red table wines stored at 15° C showed a mean decrease of 19 per cent in diacetyl content in 4 months, 22 per cent in 8 months, 26 per cent in 12 months and 28 per c ent in 18 months.
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