Mineral Composition through Soil-Wine System of Portuguese Vineyards and Its Potential for Wine Traceability

Abstract

The control of geographic origin is one of a highest priority issue regarding traceability and wine authenticity. The current study aimed to examine whether elemental composition can be used for the discrimination of wines according to geographical origin, taking into account the effects of soil, winemaking process, and year of production. The elemental composition of soils, grapes, musts, and wines from three DO (Designations of Origin) and for two vintage years was determined by using the ICP-MS semi-quantitative method, followed by multivariate statistical analysis. The elemental composition of soils varied according to geological formations, and for some elements, the variation due to soil provenance was also observed in musts and wines. Li, Mn, Sr and rare-earth elements (REE) allowed wine discrimination according to vineyard. Results evidenced the influence of winemaking processes and of vintage year on the wine’s elemental composition. The mineral composition pattern is transferred through the soil-wine system, and differences observed for soils are reflected in grape musts and wines, but not for all elements. Results suggest that winemaking processes and vintage year should be taken into account for the use of elemental composition as a tool for wine traceability. Therefore, understanding the evolution of mineral pattern composition from soil to wine, and how it is influenced by the climatic year, is indispensable for traceability purposes.

Authentication and Traceability Study on Barbera d’Asti and Nizza DOCG Wines: The Role of Trace- and Ultra-Trace Elements

“…The alcoholic content: Catarino et al [32] showed that the concentration of Rb is inversely proportional to alcohol %, which is in agreement with our data if we consider that the average alcohol % is 14.2 for Barbera d'Asti wines and 14.7 for Barbera d'Asti superiore/Nizza wines.…”

“…Fermentation with different yeast strains markedly affects the content of alkaline, alkaline-earth and transition metals [31]. In a recent study, Catarino et al [32] followed the trend of elements during winemaking, highlighting the role of the different steps in modifying the original elemental composition in soil.…”

87Sr/86Sr isotopic ratios in vineyard soils and varietal wines from Douro Valley

“…A subsample of 0.20 g of dried soil was acid digested using a microwave system as described by Martins et al [14]. Wines were acid digested following a digestion program previously optimized by Catarino et al [22].…”

Wine traceability and authenticity: approaches for geographical origin, variety and vintage assessment

“…In fact, more recently the strontium (Sr) isotopic ratio has been taken into consideration as a suitable marker in wine geographical origin characterization (Martins et al, 2014;Kaya et al, 2017). Nowadays, also due to innovation in instrumental and analytical strategies, new approaches are under study such as the rare-earth elements (REE) profile (Catarino et al, 2011;Catarino et al, 2018) and the 1 H NMR spectroscopy (Godelmann et al, 2013;Godelmann et al, 2016).…”