Impact of ethanol on odor detection thresholds relevant to No- and Low-Alcohol (NoLo) wines: a combined sensory and computational approach in simplified static hydroalcoholic model wine
Abstract
The effect of ethanol on odor detection thresholds (ODTs) in fully and partially dealcoholized (NoLo) wines remains largely unexplored. This study used a combined sensory and thermodynamic approach in simplified static hydroalcoholic wine model systems at 0, 6, and 12 % v/v ethanol with three aroma compounds. Orthonasal ODTs were measured using a 3-AFC ascending method. NRTL-based thermodynamic modeling was used to derive a volatility enhancement factor (VEF), defined as the volatility ratio between ethanol levels, and to estimate headspace concentrations at ODT. ODTs were significantly increased at 6 and 12 % v/v for all compounds, with no difference between these levels. Relative to 0 % v/v, ODT fold increases ranged from 5.7-6.1 for rotundone, 4.2-5.9 for isoamyl acetate, and 9.8-10.8 for 2-phenylethanol. VEFs were compound-dependent, being highest for rotundone (VEF 12→0 = 86.7), intermediate for isoamyl acetate (5.4), and lowest for 2-phenylethanol (3.4). ODT increases were mainly thermodynamically driven for rotundone, whereas perceptual and ethanol masking effects likely dominated for 2-phenylethanol, with isoamyl acetate intermediate. These results indicate that key aroma compounds remain perceptually relevant in NoLo wines despite substantial volatile losses. More broadly, this approach provides a framework for studying aroma behavior in static hydroalcoholic systems.
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BibTeX
@article{brian2026impact,
title = {{Impact of ethanol on odor detection thresholds relevant to No- and Low-Alcohol (NoLo) wines: a combined sensory and computational approach in simplified static hydroalcoholic model wine}},
author = {Laura Brian and Anthony Santacreu and Come de Tournadre and Michel Malcor de Pierrefeu and Jeanne Laronche and Jean-Stéphane Condoret and Audrey Devatine and Séverine Camy and Olivier Geffroy},
journal = {Current Research in Food Science},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.1016/j.crfs.2026.101563},
url = {https://hal.science/hal-05767948v1},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Impact of ethanol on odor detection thresholds relevant to No- and Low-Alcohol (NoLo) wines: a combined sensory and computational approach in simplified static hydroalcoholic model wine
AU - Laura Brian
AU - Anthony Santacreu
AU - Come de Tournadre
AU - Michel Malcor de Pierrefeu
AU - Jeanne Laronche
AU - Jean-Stéphane Condoret
AU - Audrey Devatine
AU - Séverine Camy
AU - Olivier Geffroy
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/28
JO - Current Research in Food Science
DO - 10.1016/j.crfs.2026.101563
UR - https://hal.science/hal-05767948v1
AB - The effect of ethanol on odor detection thresholds (ODTs) in fully and partially dealcoholized (NoLo) wines remains largely unexplored. This study used a combined sensory and thermodynamic approach in simplified static hydroalcoholic wine model systems at 0, 6, and 12 % v/v ethanol with three aroma compounds. Orthonasal ODTs were measured using a 3-AFC ascending method. NRTL-based thermodynamic modeling was used to derive a volatility enhancement factor (VEF), defined as the volatility ratio between ethanol levels, and to estimate headspace concentrations at ODT. ODTs were significantly increased at 6 and 12 % v/v for all compounds, with no difference between these levels. Relative to 0 % v/v, ODT fold increases ranged from 5.7-6.1 for rotundone, 4.2-5.9 for isoamyl acetate, and 9.8-10.8 for 2-phenylethanol. VEFs were compound-dependent, being highest for rotundone (VEF 12→0 = 86.7), intermediate for isoamyl acetate (5.4), and lowest for 2-phenylethanol (3.4). ODT increases were mainly thermodynamically driven for rotundone, whereas perceptual and ethanol masking effects likely dominated for 2-phenylethanol, with isoamyl acetate intermediate. These results indicate that key aroma compounds remain perceptually relevant in NoLo wines despite substantial volatile losses. More broadly, this approach provides a framework for studying aroma behavior in static hydroalcoholic systems.
SN - 2665-9271
ER -