A Structured Sensory Lexicon for Sweet Wines: From Attribute Generation to Aroma Wheel Development

Sweet wines are a culturally and commercially relevant category characterized by complex aromatic profiles. However, no standardized sensory lexicon has been developed specifically for this wine type. This study aimed to construct and validate a dedicated aroma vocabulary for dessert wines produced through grape dehydration. Twenty‐four Italian sweet wines, from both red and white aromatic varieties (e.g., Muscat, Malvasia, Recioto, Aleatico), were selected to ensure sensory diversity. A trained panel generated 43 initial descriptors, refined and validated using geometric mean calculations, resulting in 25 attributes grouped into six aroma families and general characteristics. These were applied in a descriptive analysis, with data processed through principal component analysis and hierarchical clustering. The first three components explained over 60% of the variance, effectively discriminating wines by variety. The final descriptors were assembled into an aroma wheel for dessert wines, providing a standardized and practical tool for sensory training, product development, and future sensory‐chemical correlation studies.