Resumen de Identification and naming of the inception of aroma development in ripening grape berries

Bryan G. Coombe, Michael McCarthy

• The accumulation of aroma in the grape berry appears to differ significantly from the accumulatory processes normally associated with berry ripening. A distinctive feature is the increase in concentration of free and glycosylated aroma compounds in the advanced stages of ripening, when sugar increase per berry has slowed. A similar pattern is shown for the levels of non‐anthocyanin glycosides (red‐free G‐G) in Shiraz berries. It is suggested that the process of accumulation of aroma compounds should be given a name. Our proposal is the word ‘engusting’, meaning that the berry is acquiring attractive aromas and flavours; the verb is ‘to engust’.