Flint glass bottles cause white wine aroma identity degradation

Abstract Due to marketing recommendations, white wines are often bottled in flint glass to improve aesthetics and showcase wine color. Although this practice is known to cause a wine fault, the influence of light on the fruity and flowery aromatic profile of wine is unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the changes to the white wine volatilome under typical supermarket shelf conditions, using 1,052 bottles of 24 white wines. After only 7 d of shelf life in flint glass bottles, a dramatic loss in terpenes (10 to 30%) and norisoprenoids (30 to 70%) was recorded, whereas colored glass bottles did not evidence such behavior even after 50 d, and darkness preserved the wine’s fruity and flowery aromatic integrity. We also proposed an alternative mechanism for the insurgence of the lightstrike off-odor, which takes the varietal aroma loss into account. In light of this understanding of the flint glass negative impact on white wine aroma identity and sensorial character, this packaging should be strongly discouraged. The same findings should be valid for a wide range of several daily consumed foodstuff where transparent packaging is used. Significance Transparent packaging is increasingly used for foodstuffs, including wine, milk, beer, and juice. This choice is based on the marketing recommendation that consumers want to see the product before buying it, although scientists point out that light can damage food quality and nutritional value. This work revealed that light can dramatically damage the aroma profile and sensorial identity of varietal white wine in less than a week of shelf-life in flint glass bottles. We proposed a mechanism of the lightstrike off-odor development, which includes the decrease of the fruity and flowery aroma able to mask off-odors, the rapid loss of aroma enhancers, and the catalyzation of photodegradations. It is our considered opinion that flint glass bottles should be avoided.