Sensory and Chemical Drivers of Wine Consumers' Preference for a New Shiraz Wine Product Containing Extract as a Novel Ingredient.

This study explored wine consumers' preferences towards a novel Australian Shiraz wine product containing (). Wine consumers ( = 124) were asked to complete a questionnaire and participate in a blind tasting of six wine products (differing in the amount and timing of extract additions). Based on individual liking scores for each wine product that was tasted, four hedonic clusters C1 ( = 44, preferred control and low levels of additions), C2 ( = 28, preferred control only), C3 ( = 26, generally preferred all additions) and C4 ( = 26, preferred 1 g/L additions and 4 g/L post-fermentation) were identified. Sensory attributes of the wine products were also profiled with rate-all-that-apply ( = 65) and the 31 sensory attributes that significantly differentiated the wines underwent principal component analysis with the hedonic clusters overlaid to explain consumers' preferences. There was a clear separation between hedonic clusters. Sensory attributes and volatile flavor compounds that significantly differentiated the wines were subjected to partial least squares regression, which indicated the important positive drivers of liking among the hedonic clusters. Pepper and jammy aroma, 3-methylbutanoic acid (linked to fruity notes) and non-fruit aftertaste positively drove C2's preference, whereas spice flavor and hexanoic acid (known for leafy and woody descriptors) drove C3's liking. There were no positive drivers for C1's liking but bitter taste, cooked vegetable, and toasty aromas drove this cluster' dislike. C4 preferred brown appearance, tobacco aroma, and jammy and cooked vegetable flavors. These findings provide the wine industry with deeper insights into consumers' liking towards new wine products targeted at the Australasian market.