Chardonnay marc, consisting of grape skins, seeds, and stems, is a coproduct of grape juice production for Chardonnay wine making. The discovery that marc contains a rich source of health-promoting molecules has led to its growing popularity as a flavorful healthy food ingredient. However, the odorants responsible for its pleasant fruity aroma remain unknown. In this study, 35 odorants were identified in Chardonnay marc skins using solvent-assisted flavor evaporation (SAFE) and aroma extract dilution analysis (AEDA). Thirteen odorants were quantitated employing stable isotope dilution assays (SIDAs), and odor activity values (OAVs) were calculated. Odorants with OAVs >1 included 3-methylnonane-2,4-dione (hay, OAV 5800), β-ionone (floral, violets, OAV 2900), (2E,4E)-nona-2,4-dienal (fatty, OAV 1200), β-damascenone (cooked apple, OAV 370), hexanal (green, OAV 260), oct-1-en-3-one (mushroom, OAV 200), linalool (floral, citrus, OAV 61), (2E,4E)-deca-2,4-dienal (fatty, OAV 60), 2-phenylethanol (floral, rose, OAV 16), 3-(methylsulfanyl)propanal (potato, OAV 3.7), HDMF (caramel, OAV 2.0), and ethyl octanoate (fruity, OAV 1.1). An odor simulation model prepared using odorants with OAVs >1 sensorially matched the aroma of the Chardonnay marc skins. This investigation establishes a foundation for future studies aimed at determining the contribution of individual Chardonnay marc components (skins, seeds, and stems) to the aroma profile of Chardonnay marc powder and aiding producers in delivering optimal and consistent aroma profiles by region.
Keywords: aroma extract dilution analysis; chardonnay marc; solvent-assisted flavor evaporation; stable isotope diluting assay; wine.