Rapid analytical sensor systems (spectroscopy and electronic noses) as tools to understand taste and aroma in alcoholic beverages

The increasing control of the quality in the beverage and wine industries demands the development of innovative analytical systems. It is well known that chemical analysis of complex samples such as wine and other alcoholic beverages is becoming important to achieve and adequate quality of production, in order to ensure uniformity and consistency within a brand and even to avoid fraud. The sensory characteristics that define wine and other alcoholic beverages such as smell, taste and colour, are influenced by a broad range of factors such as raw material (e.g. grape variety and raw materials), geographical origin, method of production and climate conditions, among others. In such a complex matrix the use of sensor systems combined with multivariate data analysis (chemometrics) is specially promising in order to obtain information for monitoring quality in wine and other alcoholic beverages. This chapter will review the use of sensor systems as tools to understand taste in wine and other alcoholic beverages.