Relation of Maturity, Acidity, and Growing Region of `Thompson Seedless' and `French Colombard' Grapes to Wine Aroma and Quality of Brandy Distillate

Fruit from four districts was harvested at three maturity levels during 1972. Thirty-five wines, including replicates, were produced in a uniform manner without sulfur dioxide. A nine-member panel of experts characterized the wine aromas by 7 categories. Brandy distillates of each wine, produced in a small copper-pot still, were scored for general quality by a three-member panel. Statistical significance was determined by analysis of variance and linear correlation procedures. It was concluded that 9French Colombard9 made a wine with more distinctive aroma than 9Thompson Seedless9 and that this aroma has leafy or stemmy overtones. The desirability of acid adjustment for wine aroma improvement depends upon climate and variety. In general, 9Thompson Seedless9 produced significantly better distillates than 9French Colombard9. Quality from 9Thompson Seedless9 was little affected by maturity, while that from 9French Colombard decreased with increasing maturity. Acidity of must per se had no effect on distillate quality. Correlation coefficients indicated that better brandies were produced from wines with fruity but not overripe or oxidized aromas. The better brandies were lower in esters and aldehydes and, inexplicably, higher in total acidities.