Grape Varieties for Sparkling Wine Production in Santa Catarina, Brazil: A Study of Phenology, Production, Chemical Composition, and Sensory Evaluation

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The current paper study how some non-conventional varieties for Brazilian sparkling wine production adapt in high-altitude and cold-climate regions, such as São Joaquim. This was furthermore researched by analyzing physicochemical and sensory parameters, as well as phenological and productive characteristics. Some of the investigated varieties have shown specific properties in terms of quality parameters. The study have a potential significance for local winegrowers in order to produce quality sparkling wines from international varieties.

That said, the paper in the present form contains some major flaws, especially in the presentation of the results and the subsequent discussion.

More specific comments can be found below listed as bullet points:

- Line 18: What do you have in mind with "classic grape varieties used in sparkling wine production"? Some of the grape varieties listed from lines 21-22 are well known to produce quality sparkling wines. Please revise the statement or at least list some of the varieties that are commonly used in Brazil for sparkling wine production.

- Line 37 and throughout the manuscript: Please write the scientific binomial name in italics.

- Lines 49-50: This information could be more informative for the reader if authors were more specific whether this relates to worldwide production of for specific country. Please be precise.

- Line 99: I would substitute the word "elaboration" with "production".

- Lines 100-101: What was the pressure used when pressing the grapes and was it the same for all varieties? In addition, it would be necessary to note whether the stem was removed before pressing, as this largely affects the appearance of "green aromas" later during vinification process. Also, were rotten berries removed prior the pressing?

- Line 102: Were the yeast suspended according to the manufacturing indications? Please be precise.

- Line 146: To what temperature were samples held before the tasting session?

- Lines 157-164: Could you be more specific which packages you have used for computing in R environment?

- Chapter 3.1 Phenological data: First of all, the authors present on Fig. 1 weather data - however, it is not specified in the Materials and methods chapter how this data was collected. Moreover, the chapter is significantly malnourished with information especially where the PCA analysis was performed. Authors are referring to data such as yields and average cluster weights, while these information is not presented nowhere in the manuscript and neither in the Supplementary data. It is therefore of key importance the inclusion of the cited data to support the findings presented on the PCA plot on Fig. 3.

- The aforementioned observations regarding missing data also apply to chapters 3.2 and 3.3

- The "Discussion" chapter mainly needs to find the reasons why a certain grape variety behaves as it was presented in this study.

Comments on the Quality of English Language

English language needs improvement.

Author Response

June, 10th, 2024.

Respected Reviewer,

I'm Adrielen Tamiris Canossa, a PhD student in Agricultural Production at the State University of Santa Catarina, Brazil. I am resending the manuscript entitled “Grape varieties for sparkling wine production in Santa Catarina, Brazil: a study of phenology, production, chemical composition and sensory evaluation” with the corrections requested by the reviewers.

The requests were met and are marked in yellow in the file "Revised Manuscript".
Supplementary data were also provided as requested.

We thank you for your review and suggestions, which were considered and are being sent in the attached file.

We reiterate that neither the manuscript nor any part of its contents are currently under consideration for publication or published elsewhere.

Please, we hope you will consider our study in this journal.

Best Regards,

The authors

 

The current paper study how some non-conventional varieties for Brazilian sparkling wine production adapt in high-altitude and cold-climate regions, such as São Joaquim. This was furthermore researched by analyzing physicochemical and sensory parameters, as well as phenological and productive characteristics. Some of the investigated varieties have shown specific properties in terms of quality parameters. The study have a potential significance for local winegrowers in order to produce quality sparkling wines from international varieties.

 

That said, the paper in the present form contains some major flaws, especially in the presentation of the results and the subsequent discussion.

 

More specific comments can be found below listed as bullet points:

 

- Line 18: What do you have in mind with "classic grape varieties used in sparkling wine production"? Some of the grape varieties listed from lines 21-22 are well known to produce quality sparkling wines. Please revise the statement or at least list some of the varieties that are commonly used in Brazil for sparkling wine production.

 

Although many classic grape varieties mentioned in the work produce quality sparkling wines around the world. However, in new wine-growing regions such as São Joaquim, there is no knowledge of the productive and qualitative performance for sparkling wine production. Therefore, this study seeks to evaluate the cultivars in terms of their characteristics.

In any case, modifications were made to the manuscript, especially in line 16-17, which specifies that the mentioned cultivars produce quality sparkling wine, but that these characteristics are unknown in the study region.

 

Regarding the cultivars that are used in Brazil, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are used in already consolidated wine-growing regions, however, there are no studies on cultivars for São Joaquim. This explanation is in line 62. Some of the reasons why these cultivars are not consolidated in Serra Catarinense, where São Joaquim is located, were also explained.

 

- Line 37 and throughout the manuscript: Please write the scientific binomial name in italics.

The request was met and corrections were corrected throughout the manuscript.

 

- Lines 49-50: This information could be more informative for the reader if authors were more specific whether this relates to worldwide production of for specific country. Please be precise.

 

The information was corrected, in line 49-50. The most recent information about the sale of sparkling wines in Brazil has also been added to line 51-52.

 

- Line 99: I would substitute the word "elaboration" with "production".

 

The request was met and corrections were corrected throughout the manuscript.

 

- Lines 100-101: What was the pressure used when pressing the grapes and was it the same for all varieties? In addition, it would be necessary to note whether the stem was removed before pressing, as this largely affects the appearance of "green aromas" later during vinification process. Also, were rotten berries removed prior the pressing?

 

The request was fulfilled. Added information to the manuscript in lines 108-110.

Rotten fruits and berries were removed manually. The grapes were pressed whole directly, without destamming, in a hydraulic press (200 kPa) for 5 min.

 

- Line 102: Were the yeast suspended according to the manufacturing indications? Please be precise.

 

The information was added in line 115. The yeasts were hydrated at 38°C, as recommended by the manufacturer.

 

- Line 146: To what temperature were samples held before the tasting session?

 

The information was specified in line 165.Each sample and the serving temperature was 8°C.

 

- Lines 157-164: Could you be more specific which packages you have used for computing in R environment?

 

The R packages FactoMineR and FactoExtra were used to perform the Multivariate Analyses.

 

- Chapter 3.1 Phenological data: First of all, the authors present on Fig. 1 weather data - however, it is not specified in the Materials and methods chapter how this data was collected. Moreover, the chapter is significantly malnourished with information especially where the PCA analysis was performed. Authors are referring to data such as yields and average cluster weights, while these information is not presented nowhere in the manuscript and neither in the Supplementary data. It is therefore of key importance the inclusion of the cited data to support the findings presented on the PCA plot on Fig. 3.

 

The chapter was complemented with more information regarding the behavior of cultivar phenology through the information presented. In relation to the PCA, the average data used is being sent in "supplementary material", and the data is not used in the discussion of the results directly.

The data sent as supplementary material was intended to support the reader, with numerical information, if necessary. However, the analysis of principal components does not require these numerical values ​​to be interpreted and, therefore, there was no citation of this material throughout the text. In this new version we have inserted the citation from this table in lines 248, 257 and 296.

 

- The aforementioned observations regarding missing data also apply to chapters 3.2 and 3.3

 

The chapter was complemented with more information on chemical and sensory characteristics. Regarding PCA, the average data used is being sent in “supplementary material”, and the data is not used directly in the discussion of the results.

 

- The "Discussion" chapter mainly needs to find the reasons why a certain grape variety behaves as it was presented in this study.

The discussion was expanded by explaining the possible reasons for the behavior of the varieties for sparkling wine production.

 

-English language needs improvement."

 

The English language has been revised and improved.

 

 

Reviewer 2 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

Dear Authors,

The current study reports on an interesting topic regarding the suitability of various high-altitude cultivated varieties of São Joaquim region for sparkling wine production. The study includes an agronomic analysis of the different crops, as well as a physico-chemical analysis of the grapes and the sparkling wines, and a sensory analysis of the sparkling wines.

The abstract section is concise. The introduction is well-structured and has a well-defined aim. Overall, the materials and methods section, which refers to the analytical methods, is well-developed and comprehensive.

Here are some specific points that the authors need to clarify:

1. Use italics for the scientific names of Vitis vinifera and Saccharomyces cerevisiae throughout the document.

2. Indicate whether the alcoholic fermentation of the musts was carried out in the absence or presence of the skins.

3. Specify the time from tirage to disgorging of the sparkling wines.

4. Include the determination of the number of branches in the materials and methods section.

5. Use the term “alcoholic strength” instead of “alcohol content” as advised by the OIV. Indicate the method used for determining the alcoholic strength.

6. I recommend performing an analysis of variance (ANOVA) of the different data based on the variety and vintage, and discussing the results in the manuscript.

7. I suggest including the mean and standard deviation of all the analysed parameters and the sensory attributes in tables, along with the analysis of variance.

8. Review Figures 3 and 5, as the different parameters are not clearly visible. There is overlap between some of the parameters.

9. In line 270, it is indicated that the Sangiovese variety presents a toasted aroma. Analyse whether this attribute comes from the grape variety or the ageing process.

10. Discuss the behaviour of the different varieties with respect to pH, total acidity, total polyphenols, and soluble solids of the must in Fig. 3.

11. Analyse and discuss the sensory characteristics of the sparkling wines from group 3 (Figure 5).

12. Improve the discussion of the results, as it is quite poor and, in many cases, based on irrelevant references. Discuss the results by comparing the agronomic data with the physico-chemical data of the grapes and the sparkling wine, as well as with the sensory data.

13. The authors need to explain in greater detail why the Solaris, Chardonnay, and Ribolla Gialla varieties are more balanced in terms of their chemical composition. Additionally, they should provide a more thorough explanation of why Riesling, Renano, Ribolla Gialla, and Sangiovese are considered the most suitable for sparkling wine production in São Joaquim region.

14. Review the bibliographic references to conform to the format specified by the journal.

Sincerely,

 

Author Response

June, 10th, 2024.

MDPI - Beverages

Respected Reviewer,

I'm Adrielen Tamiris Canossa, a PhD student in Agricultural Production at the State University of Santa Catarina, Brazil. I am resending the manuscript entitled “Grape varieties for sparkling wine production in Santa Catarina, Brazil: a study of phenology, production, chemical composition and sensory evaluation” with the corrections requested by the reviewers.

The requests were met and are marked in yellow in the file "Revised Manuscript".
Supplementary data were also provided as requested.

We thank you for your review and suggestions, which were considered and are being sent in the attached file.

We reiterate that neither the manuscript nor any part of its contents are currently under consideration for publication or published elsewhere.

Please, we hope you will consider our study in this journal.

Best Regards,

The authors

1. Use italics for the scientific names of Vitis vinifera and Saccharomyces cerevisiae throughout the document.

 

Corrections were made throughout the entire manuscript.

 

2. Indicate whether the alcoholic fermentation of the musts was carried out in the absence or presence of the skins.

 

Fermentation occurred without the presence of skins, according to the correction made in line 110.

 

3. Specify the time from tirage to disgorging of the sparkling wines.

 

The request was met by adding the information in lines 119-122. The bottles were placed horizontally in a temperature-controlled room at 13°C and remained for 120 days for the second fermentation. After this period, the bottles were placed in pupitres for 30 days and riddled twice a day until the residues settled in the neck.

 

4. Include the determination of the number of branches in the materials and methods section.

The request was fulfilled by adding the information in lines 144-145 The number of branches and clusters per plant was determined by manual counting at harvest.

 

5. Use the term “alcoholic strength” instead of “alcohol content” as advised by the OIV. Indicate the method used for determining the alcoholic strength.

 

Request fulfilled, with corrections made throughout the manuscript.

 

6. I recommend performing an analysis of variance (ANOVA) of the different data based on the variety and vintage, and discussing the results in the manuscript.

 

No information was available on Analysis of Variance due to the fact that we used Multivariate Analysis of Principal Components as the basis for our statistical analyses. The main purpose was to obtain a characterization of the cultivars based on the analysis of the interrelationship among the variables. It is known that multivariate analysis has gained a lot of space in scientific academia, as it introduces complexities into its results that do not appear in simpler analyses. Therefore, we did not intend to evaluate variable by variable, separately. For this reason we do not present univariate results. In any case, to support readers' understanding, we provide a table with all the averages obtained in this work. This table was sent as supplementary material.

 

7. I suggest including the mean and standard deviation of all the analysed parameters and the sensory attributes in tables, along with the analysis of variance.

As our choice of statistical analysis was not univariate, we provide a table with all the averages obtained in this work. This table was sent as supplementary material.

 

8. Review Figures 3 and 5, as the different parameters are not clearly visible. There is overlap between some of the parameters.

Request fulfilled. All figures were redone so that the different parameters were clearly visible, without overlap.

 

9. In line 270, it is indicated that the Sangiovese variety presents a toasted aroma. Analyse whether this attribute comes from the grape variety or the ageing process.

 

Explanation made in lines 380-382. The greater amount of toasted aroma in sparkling wines produced with Sangiovese can be attributed to a lower predominance of other aromas, since all sparkling wines remained in contact with yeast for the same period.

 

10. Discuss the behaviour of the different varieties with respect to pH, total acidity, total polyphenols, and soluble solids of the must in Fig. 3.

 

The correction was carried out, and aspects were discussed depending on the phenology of each cultivar, sparkling wine chemistry and sensory analysis of the samples.

 

11. Analyse and discuss the sensory characteristics of the sparkling wines from group 3 (Figure 5).

 

The correction was made, and the discussion was added on line 363-379

 

12. Improve the discussion of the results, as it is quite poor and, in many cases, based on irrelevant references. Discuss the results by comparing the agronomic data with the physico-chemical data of the grapes and the sparkling wine, as well as with the sensory data.

 

Corrections were made throughout the manuscript, with discussions based on production and phenological factors being added.

 

13. The authors need to explain in greater detail why the Solaris, Chardonnay, and Ribolla Gialla varieties are more balanced in terms of their chemical composition. Additionally, they should provide a more thorough explanation of why Riesling, Renano, Ribolla Gialla, and Sangiovese are considered the most suitable for sparkling wine production in São Joaquim region.

 

It was added to the results regarding the chemical composition of the sparkling wines that these cultivars demonstrated intermediate values ​​of these characteristics in relation to the other cultivars, supporting the conclusion.

 

14. Review the bibliographic references to conform to the format specified by the journal.

 

Corrections were made according to the format specified by the journal.

 

 

 

Reviewer 3 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The manuscript describes the attempt to produce sparkling wines with interesting sensory profiles using different grapes varieties in the region of Santa Catarina, Brazil. The authors could list some wines/grape varieties that have potential to be produced.

The manuscript is well written but the authors should review the manuscript one more time to avoid flaws like:

Line 15: Please explain if Sao Joaquim and Santa Cataria are a city, village, state region etc.

Line 84. Please check the two different ways of citations. Probably "Potter et al" should be removed.

Line 94: Species names in italic? Please check throughout the manuscript that species names are written in italic.

Line 100: Some information is missing: 30 kg pre treatment of what?

Line 101: Saccharomyces cerevisiae in italic

Line 115: SO2, the number 2 should be subscribed.

Statistics: Please check if the correct term should be written as k-means

References should be completely reviewed. They are not correctly edited.

Comments on the Quality of English Language

minor corrections needed.

Author Response

June, 10th, 2024.

MDPI - Beverages

Respected Reviewer,

I'm Adrielen Tamiris Canossa, a PhD student in Agricultural Production at the State University of Santa Catarina, Brazil. I am resending the manuscript entitled “Grape varieties for sparkling wine production in Santa Catarina, Brazil: a study of phenology, production, chemical composition and sensory evaluation” with the corrections requested by the reviewers.

The requests were met and are marked in yellow in the file "Revised Manuscript".
Supplementary data were also provided as requested.

We thank you for your review and suggestions, which were considered and are being sent in the attached file.

We reiterate that neither the manuscript nor any part of its contents are currently under consideration for publication or published elsewhere.

Please, we hope you will consider our study in this journal.

Best Regards,

The authors

The manuscript describes the attempt to produce sparkling wines with interesting sensory profiles using different grapes varieties in the region of Santa Catarina, Brazil. The authors could list some wines/grape varieties that have potential to be produced.

 

The manuscript is well written but the authors should review the manuscript one more time to avoid flaws like:

 

-Line 15: Please explain if Sao Joaquim and Santa Cataria are a city, village, state region etc.

 

The suggestion was answered and specified in line 56-57.

 

-Line 84. Please check the two different ways of citations. Probably "Potter et al" should be removed.

 

The suggestion was accepted.

 

-Line 94: Species names in italic? Please check throughout the manuscript that species names are written in italic.

 

The suggestion was followed throughout the manuscript.

 

-Line 100: Some information is missing: 30 kg pre treatment of what?

For this, around 30 kg of each grape variety was used (produced using the traditional method).  The suggestion was answered and specified in line 107-108.

 

-Line 101: Saccharomyces cerevisiae in italic

The suggestion was followed throughout the manuscript.

 

-Line 115: SO2, the number 2 should be subscribed.

The suggestion was followed throughout the manuscript.

 

-Statistics: Please check if the correct term should be written as k-means

 

The correct term is kmeans clustering.

 

-References should be completely reviewed. They are not correctly edited.

 

The suggestion was followed throughout the manuscript.

 

                                                                                           The Authors.

Round 2

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The authors have addressed appropriately my observations, therefore I do not have any comments.

Author Response

Line 156: Please specify the methods used to determine alcoholic strength and titratable acidity. Additionally, include references for these methods.

Tables S2, S3, and S4: While the tables summarizing means are helpful, including the standard deviation alongside the means would be highly beneficial. This additional information (experimental error) provides valuable context regarding the data's reliability and precision. It fosters transparency, enhances the results' credibility, and allows for easier identification of significant trends or outliers within the data set.

Data Analysis: I strongly recommend incorporating an Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) alongside the existing Principal Component Analysis (PCA). These are unique analytical tools that offer distinct insights. While PCA helps visualize patterns and reduce dimensionality by highlighting key components affecting variability, ANOVA can determine if statistically significant differences exist between group means. Combining these analyses will provide a more comprehensive understanding of the data, leading to more robust and insightful findings.

• Details of titratable acidity and alcohol content analysis were inserted into the methodology, in line 157 to 160.
• At the request of the reviewer, we included ANOVA in the manuscript. However, we emphasize that the authors' interest was to evaluate the interrelationship of variables, seeking to characterize patterns of behavior. To complement the results, ANOVA was also provided.                                                                          

The Authors.

Reviewer 2 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

 

Thank you for addressing my previous comments and suggestions. The detail and thoroughness in your responses are appreciated. However, to further strengthen the clarity and quality of the article, there are a few additional points to consider:

Line 156: Please specify the methods used to determine alcoholic strength and titratable acidity. Additionally, include references for these methods.

Tables S2, S3, and S4: While the tables summarizing means are helpful, including the standard deviation alongside the means would be highly beneficial. This additional information (experimental error) provides valuable context regarding the data's reliability and precision. It fosters transparency, enhances the results' credibility, and allows for easier identification of significant trends or outliers within the data set.

Data Analysis: I strongly recommend incorporating an Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) alongside the existing Principal Component Analysis (PCA). These are unique analytical tools that offer distinct insights. While PCA helps visualize patterns and reduce dimensionality by highlighting key components affecting variability, ANOVA can determine if statistically significant differences exist between group means. Combining these analyses will provide a more comprehensive understanding of the data, leading to more robust and insightful findings.

Sincerely,

 

 

 

Author Response

Thank you again for your review and collaboration on the manuscript.

At the request of other reviewers, the following were added:
- Details of titratable acidity and alcohol content analysis were inserted into the methodology, in line 157 to 160.

- We included ANOVA in the manuscript. However, we emphasize that the authors' interest was to evaluate the interrelationship of variables, seeking to characterize patterns of behavior. Although only one reviewer requested univariate analysis, to complement the results, ANOVA was also provided.

The Authors.