How can compounds present below their sensory threshold in wine contribute to wine aroma?
Most volatiles identified in oak aroma seem unlikely to reach sensory thresholds in wine. However, substances with chemical similarities are often released from oak together (such as eugenol, isoeugenol, or other volatile phenols). The combination of similar molecules can result in a perceived sensory effect even when they are below their individual sensory thresholds. These additive and cumulative effects may be quite important in wine. Dramatic synergistic effects between unrelated volatiles have also been demonstrated. Oak lactone’s difference threshold has been found to be 50-fold lower in the presence of vanillin making it fifty times more potent. Similar effects are likely to occur between oak volatiles and other wine aroma compounds.
