Abstract
This study investigated the correlation between flavor compounds and basic physicochemical properties of ordinary wine and Musalais wine with different pretreatment processes derived from Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. Key findings revealed significant differences in volatile compositions between Cabernet Sauvignon Musalais and the control group (ordinary wine, conventional Cabernet Sauvignon wine). Musalais samples exhibited certain commonalities in volatile profiles across different fermentation temperatures, and significant distinctions were also observed. Gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry (GC-IMS) identified 32 volatile compounds, with esters being the predominant contributors. Principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) based on the peak volumes of the 32 variables demonstrated that the first two principal components accounted for 72.2% of the cumulative variance, enabling effective differentiation of wine samples from the ordinary wine and Musalais of different treatment groups. PLS-DA further screened 13 characteristic biomarkers from the 32 volatile compounds through variable importance in projection (VIP) scoring. A correlation analysis was conducted on the basic indicators and volatile components of ordinary wine and three Musalais wines under different treatments, revealing differences both among the basic indicators (such as residual sugar, total phenolics, total acidity, total flavonoids, pH, and ethanol content) and between these indicators and volatile components. This methodology provides novel insights into crafting Cabernet Sauvignon Musalais with a unique flavor profile, advancing the optimization of fermentation strategies for traditional Chinese fruit wines.