Background: The impact of fertilisation with three doses of foliar urea (0, 2 and 4 kg N ha(-1)) on the concentration of volatile compounds in Tempranillo wine was studied.
Results: The total concentration of alcohols decreased with the application of urea. The concentrations of ethyl hexanoate, ethyl octanoate and ethyl decanoate were highest in the wine resulting from the 4 kg N ha(-1) urea treatment. Fatty acids showed different individual responses to the application of urea. Sensory analysis indicated that the wines from urea-treated grapevines had higher aroma intensity and a more fruity character than the control wine.
Conclusion: It may be concluded that foliar urea fertilisation shows itself to be efficient in small doses as a complement to soil fertilisation to improve wine aroma.
Keywords: Tempranillo; fertilisation; foliar urea; volatile compounds; wine.
© 2012 Society of Chemical Industry.