Correlating E-Nose responses to wine sensorial descriptors and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry profiles using partial least squares regression analysis

Sensory scores for 15 attributes identified by a sensory panel and concentration of 19 chemical compounds in wine determined by gas chromatography combined with mass spectrometry (GC–MS) have been correlated with electronic nose (e-nose) responses using partial least squares (PLS) regression analysis. A total of 28 wines from different regions, varieties and elaboration processes have been tasted by the sensory panel, analyzed by GC–MS and measured with the e-nose. The sensory panel was composed by 30 people trained to detect the wine aroma. A HP-6890 gas chromatograph with HP Mass Selective 5973 Spectrometer has been used to perform the GC–MS analysis. The e-nose used has been homemade and home-developed and it is based on 16 resistive SnO2 sensors using headspace and purge and trap as extraction methods. Better results have been obtained in predictions of sensory panel attributes than concentrations of chemical compounds by GC–MS.