Effects of Sulfur Dioxide on Formation of Fishy Off-Odor and Undesirable Taste in Wine Consumed with Seafood

In order to evaluate sensory compatibility of alcoholic beverages with food, beverages and dried squid, namely, “surume”, a common Japanese accompaniment, were consumed together. White wine and dried squid pairings had a more undesirable taste and more fishy off-odor than sake and dried squid pairings. The undesirable taste and fishy off-odor appeared to be caused by degradation of unsaturated fatty acids (e.g., docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)), which are found in fish and squid. Upon addition of DHA to the beverage, bitterness intensity, measured by instrumental taste sensor analysis, and the concentration of certain aldehydes reported to contribute to fishy flavors, increased in white wines, whereas they remained largely the same in sake. Among the major chemical constituents that distinguish wine from sake, only wine-specific sulfite markedly increased bitterness intensity and aldehyde levels upon addition of DHA. These results suggest that sulfur dioxide in wine participated in degradation of unsaturated fatty acids, causing an increase in undesirable taste and fishy off-odor in wine and seafood pairings.