Wine Volatilomics

In this chapter, we attempt to bring together in a readable and accessible form the wine volatiles patterns highlighting, in a comprehensive way, their differentiated origins. In this context, it is aimed to describe the volatile compounds i) biosynthesized in the grapes few of them are responsible for the impact aroma of some grape varieties and wines, such us monoterpenes, thiols, and pyrazines, that persist unchanged into wine; ii) the originated during the alcoholic fermentation through fermenting yeasts metabolism, enzymatic reaction and lactic acid bacteria action, and from transformation of grape-specific precursors, namely alcohols, ethyl and alkyl esters, aldehydes, and fatty acids, which contribute substantially to the flavor and to the base wine aroma, and iii) the volatiles formed during the wine storage and/or aging through several chemical reactions, including redox phenomena, Maillard reactions, and Strecker degradation, abiotic transformation of precursor compounds in wine, microbial spoilage, and difusion from oak, from which we can highlight the furanic compounds, lactones and acetals (dioxanes and dioxolanes), among others. The most important and dominant volatile compounds derived from these three main pathways are discussed in some detail.