Approaches to Wine Aroma: Release of Aroma Compounds from Reactions between Cysteine and Carbonyl Compounds in Wine

Under conditions close to those of wine, that is, low pH, aqueous medium, and low temperatures, this work examines the role of carbonyl (acetoin and acetol) and dicarbonyl (glyoxal, methylglyoxal, diacetyl, and pentane-2,3-dione) compounds associated with cysteine in the formation of odorous products. In particular, thiazole, 4-methylthiazole, 2-acetylthiazole, and trimethyloxazole and two sulfur and oxygenated heterocyclic compounds, 2-furanmethanethiol and thiophene-2-thiol, are examined. For thiophene-2-thiol, the reactional mechanism is proposed. Attempts were made to detect these compounds in wines from various origins. Certain molecules were identified for the first time in wine. Keywords: Cysteine; carbonyl compounds; Strecker degradation; wine aroma; thiazole; trimethyloxazole; 2-acetylthiazole; thiophene-2-thiol; 2-furanmethanethiol