Sensory Evaluation of SuspectedHarmonia axyridis-tainted Red Wine Using Untrained Panelists

Washington State Merlot suspected of Harmonia axyridis taint (Multicolored Asian Lady Beetle; MALB) was evaluated for its aroma, flavor and mouthfeel sensory properties using a directional paired difference test and a control wine. Compared to the control wine, the potentially MALB-tainted wine had a more vegetal and musty/earthy aroma accompanied with less fruity aroma, a stronger green pepper flavor and more sour taste (p ≤ 0.05). Panelists significantly preferred the aroma and flavor of the control wine compared to the wine suspected of being MALB-tainted (p ≤ 0.05). These results indicate the influence of MALB taint on red wine properties and the potential of consumers to reject MALB-tainted wine.