Exploring consumers’ perception of Nova Scotia white wine
LE3 .A278 2018
2018
McSweeney, Matt
Acadia University
Bachelor of Science
Honours
Nutrition
Nutrition & Dietetics
Wine is a result of the fermentation of grape juice. Along with the many processes involved in wine production, the geographical climate and region in which the grapes are grown is very important. The upcoming and impressively growing wine industry in Nova Scotia (NS) is of great interest today for both consumers and wine industry personnel. The purpose of this study is to carry out the second stage for the development of a consumer wine wheel specific to the NS region through determining consumers’ descriptors of selected NS single gape varietal white wine. Furthermore, this anticipated outcome of this research is to determine whether consumers rely on the colour of the wine when completing a projective mapping task. Currently descriptors of NS wines are provided by the winemakers and a wide variety of terms are used to describe the different flavours. The anticipated outcome of this research is to allow the wine industry to convey the flavours present in their wine to consumers. Additionally, it will allow consumers of varying degrees of wine knowledge to comprehend and discuss NS wines. Two trials were conducted: in the first trial wines were evaluated under white light, however, in the second trial red light was used. The same six NS single grape varietal white wines were assessed in each trial, comprising of three Riesling, two Chardonnay, and one L’Acadie. Partial projective mapping paired with ultra-flash profiling, a rapid sensory analysis method, was utilized in both trials. All results were analyzed using Multiple Factor Analysis performed using XLSTAT software. Results from the initial evaluation distinguished two types of wine based on level of dryness. Those that are sweet, fruity, and caramel as opposed to dry, acidic, chemical and woody. The second trial didn’t show a consistent trend in terms of flavour but emphasized acidity, fermentative characteristics and mouthfeel. Comparing both PCA plots showed no significant correlation between the two trials, indicating the importance of appearance in the perception of NS white wines.
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https://scholar.acadiau.ca/islandora/object/theses:2675