Wines produced from non-Vitis vinifera varieties have great economic importance in Brazil and represent more than 80% of the national production, but scientific information regarding the quality of these wines is rare. The objective of this research was to determine consumer acceptability, the sensory profile and the chemical composition of the most consumed Brazilian red wines produced with Vitis labrusca and promising hybrid varieties, identifying the parameters that drive the preference of consumers. Commercial wines collected directly from different wineries were evaluated regarding their overall acceptance by 120 consumers. Twelve trained panelists developed the sensory profile of the wines using Quantitative Descriptive Analysis (QDA). Physicochemical analyses carried out to determine the pH, titratable and volatile acidity, total solids, alcohol degree, total phenolics, free SO2 and the reducing sugar contents of the wines. The data was analyzed by ANOVA, Tukey test, Internal Preference Mapping (MDPREF), Cluster analysis, Principal Component Analysis (PCA), Partial Least Square regression (PLS), and Extended Internal Preference Map (EPM). In general wines produced from Ives (V. labrusca) grape showed higher aroma/flavor notes described as sweet, grape, grape juice, blackberry and roses. The wines produced from the hybrid grape Máximo differed from those elaborated with the variety Ives, especially due to their higher intensity of earthy/mushroom, vegetative/green beans, woody and yeast sensory notes. The PLS and EPM analyses indicated that fruity notes associated with the aroma and flavor of grape and grape juice were sensory drivers of Brazilian consumers' preference. On the other hand, the majority of the consumers did not like the sensory notes described as earthy/mushroom, vegetative/green beans and yeast found in the wines produced from Máximo. The wine elaborated exclusively with the hybrid Seibel 2 and the wine containing the V. labrusca grapes Ives and Isabella were preferred by the majority of the consumers and only a minor segment of consumers appreciated the wines elaborated solely with Máximo grape. Thus the hybrid grape Seibel 2 and the recently developed hybrid Máximo were shown to be promising varieties for the winemaking of quality wines in Brazilian regions where the environmental conditions are not good for the cultivation of V. vinifera varieties. © 2014 Elsevier Ltd.62 456466Amerine, M.A., Singleton, V.L., (1984) Wine an introduction, , University of California Press, Berkeley, CAAOAC - Association of official analytical chemists (2005). Gaithersburg, USA: AOAC International The Scientific AssociationBiasoto, A.C.T., Catharino, R.R., Sanvido, G.B., Eberlin, M.N., Da Silva, M.A.A.P., Flavor characterization of red wines by descriptive analysis and ESI mass spectrometry (2010) Food Quality and Preference, 21, pp. 755-762Cadena, R.S., Cruz, A.G., Rolim Neto, R., Castro, W.F., Faria, J.A.F., Bolini, H.M.A., Sensory profile and physicochemical characteristics of mango nectar sweetened with high intensity of sweeteners throughout storage time (2013) Food Research International, 54, pp. 1670-1679Camargo, U.A., Ritschel, P., New table and wine grape cultivars: World scenario with emphasis on brazil (2008) Acta Horticulturae, 785, pp. 89-96Castilhos, M.B.M., Silva, A.C.C., Bianchi, V.L.D., Effect of grape pre-drying and static pomace contact on physicochemical properties and sensory acceptance of Brazilian (BordÔ and Isabel) red wines (2012) European Food Research and Technology, 235, pp. 345-354Cochran, W.G., Cox, G.M., (1957) Experimental designs, , John Wiley and Sons, Inc., New YorkFontoin, H., Saucier, C., Teissedre, P.L., Glories, Y., Effect of pH, ethanol and acidity on astringency and bitterness of grape seed tannin oligomers in model wine solution (2008) Food Quality and Preference, 19, pp. 286-291Gawel, R., Sluyter, S.V., Waters, E.J., The effects of ethanol and glycerol on the body and others sensory characteristics of Riesling wines (2007) Australian Journal of Grape and Wine Research, 13, pp. 38-45Hamada, E., Ghini, R., Rossi, P., Pedro Júnior, M.J., Fernades, J.L., Climatic risk of grape downy mildew (Plasmopara viticola) for the state of São Paulo, Brazil (2008) Scientia Agricola, 65, pp. 60-64Pesquisa industrial anual produto, , http://www.sidra.ibge.gov.br/bda/tabela/protabl.asp?c=3337&z=t&o=22&i=P, (access in January 10)Ishikawa, T., Noble, A.C., Temporal perception of astringency and sweetness in red wine (1995) Food Quality and Preference, 6, pp. 27-33Jackson, R.S., (2008) Wine science: Principles, practice and perception, , Elsevier Inc., San Diego, CA, USAJackson, R.S., (2009) Wine tasting: A professional handbook, , Elsevier Inc., San Diego, CA, USAKing, E.S., Dunn, R.L., Heymann, H., The influence of alcohol on the sensory perception of red wines (2013) Food Quality and Preference, 28, pp. 235-243Lago-Vanzela, E.S., Rebello, L.P.G., Ramos, A.M., Stringheta, P.C., Da-Silva, R., Gárcia-Romero, E., Chromatic characteristics and color-related phenolic composition of Brazilian young red wines made from the hybrid cultivar BRS-Violeta ("BRS-Rúbea"×"IAC1398-21") (2013) Food Research International, 54, pp. 33-43Lee, S.-J., Lee, J.-E., Kim, H.-W., Kim, S.-S., Koh, K.-H., Development of Korean red wines using Vitis labrusca varieties: Instrumental and sensory characterization (2006) Food Chemistry, 94, pp. 385-393MacFIE, H.J.H., Thomson, D.M.H., Preference mapping and multidimensional scaling (1988) Sensory Analysis of Foods, pp. 380-409. , Elsevier Applied Science, London, J.R. Piggott (Ed.)Moskowitz, H.R., (1983) Product testing and sensory evaluation of foods: Marketing and R & D approaches, , Food & Nutrition Press, WestportNoble, A.C., Why do wine taste bitter and fell astringent? (1998) Chemistry of wine flavor ACS Symposium series 174, pp. 156-165. , Oxford University Press, Portland, ORNoble, A.C., Arnold, J., Buechsenstein, A., Leach, E.J., Schmidt, J.O., Stekrn, P.M., Modification of a standardized system of wine aroma terminology (1987) American Journal of Enology and Viticulture, 38, pp. 143-146Noble, A.C., Shannon, M., Profiling Zinfandel wines by sensory and chemical analyses (1987) American Journal of Enology and Viticulture, 38, pp. 1-5Noordeloos, S., Nagel, C.W., Effect of sugar on acid perception in wine (1972) American Journal of Enology and Viticulture, 23, pp. 139-143Ough, C.S., Amerine, M.A., (1988) Methods for analysis of musts and wines, , John Wiley and Sons, Inc., New YorkReynolds, A.G., Lowrey, W.D., De Savigny, C., Influence of irrigation and fertigation on fruit composition, vine performance, and water relations of Concord and Niagara grapevines (2005) American Journal of Enology and Viticulture, 56, pp. 110-128Rossi, J.A., Singleton, V.L., Colorimetry of total phenolics with phosphomolybdic phosphotungstic acid reagents (1965) American Journal of Enology and Viticulture, 16, pp. 144-158Sacchi, K.L., Bisson, L.F., Adams, D.O., A review of the effect of winemaking techniques on phenolic extraction in red wines (2005) American Journal of Enology and Viticulture, 53, pp. 197-206Singleton, V.L., Oxygen with phenols and related reactions in must, wines and model systems, observations and practical implications (1987) American Journal of Enology and Viticulture, 38, pp. 69-77Sokolowsky, M., Fischer, U., Evaluation of bitterness in white wine applying descriptive analysis, time-intensity analysis, and temporal dominance of sensations analysis (2012) Analytica Chimica Acta, 732, pp. 46-52Stone, H.S., Sidel, J.L., Oliver, S., Woosley, A., Singleton, R.C., Sensory evaluation by Quantitative descriptive analysis (1974) Food Technology, 28, pp. 24-34Tenenhaus, M., Pagès, J., Ambroisine, L., Guinot, C., PLS methodology to study relationships between hedonic judgements and product characteristics (2005) Food Quality and Preference, 16, pp. 315-325Villanueva, N., Da Silva, M.A.A.P., Comparative performance of the nine-point hedonic, hybrid and self-adjusting scales in the generation of internal preference maps (2009) Food Quality and Preference, 20, pp. 1-12Wakeling, I.N., MacFIE, H.J.H., Designing consumer trials balanced for first and higher orders of carry-over effect when only a subset of k samples from t may be tested (1995) Food Quality and Preference, 6, pp. 299-308Williams, A.A., Flavour effects of ethanol in alcoholic beverages (1972) The Flavour Industry, 21, pp. 601-611Zamora, M.C., Goldner, M.C., Galmarini, M.V., Sourness-sweetness interactions in different media: White wine, ethanol and water (2006) Journal of Sensory Studies, 21, pp. 601-611Zamora, M.C., Guirao, M., Analysing the contribution of orally perceived attributes to the flavor of wine (2002) Food Quality and Preference, 13, pp. 275-283Zoecklein, B.W., Fugelsang, K.C., Gump, B.H., Nury, F.S., (1999) Wine analysis and production, , Aspen Publishers, Gaithersburg, Maryland