Wine Lactone was first discovered
in the urine of koalas after they’d been fed a few eucalyptus leaves.
The molecule was found to be present in some
white wines, and to be a very important flavor ingredient, smelling like
‘coconut, woody and sweet’. It has also turned up in places like orange juice,
black pepper, grapefruit juice and in some red wines. The molecule contains an
ester group as part of the five-membered ring – that makes it a lactone (a
cyclic ester).
Wine Lactone has not been found in grapes but
is thought to be generated mainly as the wine matures.
