Group of volatile components of essential oils from the chemical class of pyrazines. They are found in many plants, such as peppers, green beans, peas, gooseberries, asparagus and green pepper, and are characterised by very intense aromas, often described as vegetable or earthy.
In grapes, these compounds are mainly found in the berry skins and leaves of certain varieties such as Bacchus, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc, Scheurebe and Sémillon. Their content is particularly high in cooler growing regions or in unripe grapes and decreases with increasing ripeness. The content can also be increased by grape leaves that get into the grapes during harvesting (especially mechanical harvesting). Aromas of this group of substances are considered a typical varietal characteristic of many bouquet varieties.
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