Cat's pee, sweaty passionfruit core aromas of leading Kiwi wines

Melbourne, May 11 (ANI): Cat's pee and sweaty passionfruit are core aromas of some of the New Zealand's leading wines, researchers have found.

The wine scientists spent more than 12 million dollars in describing the flavours of the country's most popular grape variety, sauvignon blanc, which has a unique flavour and character.

During the study, the research team carried out tests to differentiate between sixteen flavours, including canned and fresh asparagus, stone fruit, apple and snow peas.

A wine region called Wairarapa, near the capital of Wellington, was found to have cat's pee influences in the white wine.

A panel of ordinary wine drinkers rated the flavour as intense "sweet, sweaty passionfruit" and asparagus.

Plant and Food science research leader Dr. Roger Harker said that wine lovers routinely describe their favourite drink using the terms like cat's pee and capsicum.

One of the wineries, Cooper's Creek, has already named its sauvignon blanc 'Cat's Pee on a Gooseberry Bush'.

Sue Blackmore, a wine science lecturer at New Zealand's Lincoln University, said that the flavours were only found in moderation.

"We're talking about parts per billion, very tiny amounts to make the wine more complexing and interesting," The Age quoted Blackmore as saying.

"If you had a whole lot of the compounds that give you cat's pee it obviously wouldn't be great but it's amazing what a little can do," she added.

A wine retailer said that Kiwis were unfazed by the unsavoury associations in their favourite wine.

"Most wouldn't stop to think about it. Most people drink purely for enjoyment - they don't stop to analyse the wine," said the retailer. (ANI)