Relation between quality, typicality, attributes and chemical composition of conventional and biodynamic protect designation of origin (PDO) wines

The aim of this research was to verify the impact of the enological biodynamic and conventional process on the quality and typicality of the most famous PDO Tuscan wine (Chianti). Since quality and typicality are expression of the characteristics of the raw material, the biodynamic enological protocol, allowing less practice during vinification, should provide a more “natural” product, closer as perceived quality, to the original characteristics of grape. Three estates producing biodynamic wine and a conventional one participated to the project. In the biodynamic wineries, three vinifications were conducted using Sangiovese grape and following a biodynamic winemaking protocol. Instead, in the conventional winery, three vinifications were conducted using the same Sangiovese grape collected from each biodynamic winery, but following a conventional winemaking protocol. The six wines obtained were compared with other seven Chianti PDO wines (three of which were obtained by a conventional process, and four by a biodynamic process). All the wines were submitted to descriptive analysis by trained judges. The Quality and Typicality of the wines was evaluated by experts. For all the wines, the chemical profile (base analysis, aromatic and phenolic profile) was determined. Multivariate analysis of the data provided information about relationship between Quality, Typicality and Attributes, putting in evidence the “driver” that connected them. Relationship between chemical data and attributes at one side, Quality, and Typicality at the other, provided information about their relation. The samples of the two different kind of wines did not show differences in terms of perceived quality. Actually, there were different quality and typicality levels but they were not related to the two different enological processes. The experiment is still going on for the last vintage and the wines produced from the grape of four biodynamic estates are treated with the same experimental design.