The role of skin-contact time and heads fraction on Pisco terpene content

Pisco is a traditional Peruvian spirit, and Muscat of Alexandria (“Italia”) is amongst the main grape varieties used to produce it. Pisco production is mainly artisanal and varies widely across regions and producers; more information is needed on the impact of different operations on its composition. This study demonstrated the effect of changes in skin-contact duration and the amount of “head fraction” discarded on terpene content to guide producers during Pisco manufacturing.