Volatile Profile in Greek Grape Marc Spirits with HS-SPME-GC-MS and Chemometrics: Evaluation of Terroir Impact

Abstract

Greek grape marc spirits, although being traditional products, have lately attracted increasing attention as a revisited spirit product category. A headspace solid-phase microextraction coupled to the gas chromatography−mass spectrometry method was optimized in order to determine the volatile composition of 39 samples of grape marc spirits from eight major geographical regions of Greece and 4 protected designations of origin (PDOs). This untargeted analysis approach yielded the identification and quantification of 200 volatiles characterizing those products. Principal component analysis and partial least-squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) combined with the volatile matrix were further employed to identify terroir denomination. Initial results showed a clear separation of the PDO products from Tyrnavos from the rest. Variable importance in projection data pretreatment was further adopted, and with 31 volatiles subsequently used with PLS-DA, products were correctly classified according to region of origin at 76.92% and for 3 out of 4 PDO denominations at 100%.

The Metabolic and Antioxidant Activity Profiles of Aged Greek Grape Marc Spirits

“…In particular, the scientific interest in grape marc spirits has mainly focused on their major volatile compounds with the implementation of Headspace Solid-Phase Microextraction Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometer (HS-SPME-GC-MS). Such a study associated volatile metabolites of tsipouro to geographical areas and production styles [6], while another determined the volatile composition of 39 samples of grape marc spirits to identify terroir denomination [7]. Our laboratory has contributed significantly to assessing the Greek grape marc spirit metabolome.…”

Emphasizing the Potential of Attenuated Total Reflectance–Fourier Transform Infrared (ATR-FTIR) Spectroscopy Combined with Chemometrics, for Classification of Greek Grape Marc Spirits

“…The historical significance of grape marc spirits is deeply rooted in the cultural tapestry of winemaking traditions, offering a journey of technology and tradition through the ages. Each variant, whether the Iberian Peninsula's Orujo, Italy's Grappa, Cyprus's Zivania, or the diverse expressions of grape marc worldwide, encapsulates the essence of its region and the craftsmanship of its makers [1]. These spirits emerge as liquid ambassadors, reflecting the historical evolution of viticulture and the utilization of grape pomace-a byproduct of winemaking that, rather than being discarded, undergoes meticulous distillation to yield beverages of distinct character [2].…”

“…110/2008, designated four viticultural regions for the production of protected designation of origin (PDO) grape marc spirits. Those regions include tsipouro of Thessaly, tsipouro of Macedonia, tsikoudia of Crete, and tsipouro of Tyrnavos [1]. The first three derive their names from their respective geographical areas, while Tyrnavos, situated in the Thessaly region, serves as a significant viticultural hub.…”

“…Previously, we utilized novel sensory methodologies [2] and Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) analyses combined with chemometrics [1] to understand product differentiation within that complex category of spirits. GC-MS analyses were also applied in other studies of grape marc spirits from Greece [3] and also recently together with chemometrics [23].…”

“…The main objective of this work was to study thirty-nine (39) samples of Greek grape marc spirits from diverse distillation processes [24] and specifically and/or broadly defined origin areas [1,23], employing ATR-FTIR spectroscopy band transformation. Additionally, the study aimed to assess the capability of FTIR spectroscopy combined with chemometric tools such as PCA and partial least squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) for classifying Greek grape marc spirits through meaningful insights into the quality information of a representative set of samples.…”