Authentication of food products of specific geographic origin, such as wine, has garnered interest in consumers, growers, and producers. This is because wine is often associated with qualities only found in certain regions. Previous studies have analyzed various chemical characteristics to establish markers for geographical origin, using samples from different countries or different regions within one country, without looking into inter-regional differences. In this study we measured elemental profiles to distinguish mono-varietal Pinot noir wines from six different sub-appellations within a single American Viticultural Area (AVA) in Northern California, USA. Each sub-appellation was represented by 3-5 different vineyards for a total of 28 neighboring vineyard sites. During winemaking, the wines had minimal oak contact and were made without significant additions other than yeast and nutrient additions.<br/><br/>The elemental profiles were analyzed using microwave plasma-atomic emission spectroscopy (4200 MP-AES; Agilent). All samples were diluted 1:5 in 5% nitric acid (w/w) and mixed with 2,200 mg/L ionization buffer and internal standard solution before entering the system. Concentrations of 11 elements (B, Na, Mg, Si, P, K, Ca, Mn, Fe, Rb, Sr) were determined using matrix-matched calibration curves (4% ethanol and 5% nitric acid), spanning the observed concentration ranges. Analysis of variance was used to determine statistical significant differences across the sub-appellations and discriminate analysis was used to observe separation patterns between the samples. This poster will detail the results obtained in this study and identify differences in elemental profiles in the sub-appellations within the AVA.

Analysis of major elements in wines using an Agilent MP-AES

253rd National Meeting (2017)

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.