# Definition of a sensory lexicon and development of sensory wheels of eighteen monovarietal Italian white wines

## TL;DR

This study defines a sensory lexicon and creates sensory wheels for 18 Italian white wines to better understand and communicate their unique characteristics.

## Contribution

The study introduces a new sensory lexicon and structured sensory wheels for Italian monovarietal white wines using statistical analysis of sensory data.

## Key findings

- A lexicon with 29 olfactory and 7 taste/mouthfeel descriptors was defined for the wines.
- Four main olfactory dimensions were identified: fruity–balsamic, thiolic–mineral, floral–sweet, and toasty–dried.
- Sensory wheels were developed as tools for defining varietal typicality and supporting quality control.

## Abstract

Italy harbors one of the richest grapevine biodiversities worldwide, yet the sensory identity of wines from many native cultivars remains poorly defined despite their relevance on the market at regional, national, or international levels. This study provides a systematic sensory characterization of 18 Italian monovarietal white wines, analyzed across 246 commercial samples, including wines never investigated before by sensory analysis. Analysis of variance, hierarchical cluster analysis, and principal component analysis were applied to Rate‐All‐That‐Apply (RATA) data performed by trained panelists to define a lexicon and identify the sensory attributes characterizing and discriminating the 18 wine types.

A statistically based lexicon comprising 29 olfactory and seven taste/mouthfeel descriptors was defined. Multivariate statistics showed that the 18 monovarietal wine types belong to four main olfactory dimensions, labeled as fruity–balsamic, thiolic–mineral, floral–sweet, and toasty–dried. A three‐dimensional space was defined along the four olfactory directions. Müller Thurgau, Gewürztraminer, Albana, and Falanghina emerged as the most representative wines in these directions, outlining the vertices of a spatial framework within and around which the other wines are distributed. Sensory wheels representing structured visual synthesis of the most relevant attributes (odor, taste, mouthfeel) were developed as ‘identity models’, providing systematic tools for defining wines' varietal typicality.

Results are relevant for enologists and wine sellers as standardized reference sensory models for production and communication, as benchmarks for PDO/PGI quality control and disciplinary improvement, for researchers to advance modeling of wine sensory quality through sensometabolomic wine studies. Results also support the international recognition and valorization of Italian grapevine biodiversity according to Agenda 2030 sustainable development goals. © 2026 The Author(s). Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.