In-Depth Aroma and Sensory Profiling of Unfamiliar Table-Grape Cultivars

We present an in-depth analysis of aroma profiles and sensory attributes, employing solid-phase microextraction gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (SPME-GC-MS) to identify the key compounds driving consumer preference in 19 unfamiliar cultivars. In combination with popular cultivars, we identified a total of 100 compounds in all table grapes, of which 26 key volatiles were correlated with consumer liking. Based on this relationship, five aroma combinations (AC) were formulated, wherein 33 compounds contributed to aroma intensity, and thus, were viewed as active volatiles. The fruity, floral, and sweet aromas were further divided into secondary aromatic series, of which the apple, citrus, orange, rose, geranium, violet, and honey aromas constituted the predominant series in unfamiliar cultivars. Xiangyue and Heikuixiang emerged as the preferred table grapes according to our analysis. By comparison, the popular cultivars showed relatively fewer volatiles, but their contents were much greater than the large number of volatiles identified in the unfamiliar cultivars.