Wine should ONLY be wine. Application Summary Compendium

Importance of the Topic

Accurate and comprehensive analysis of wine composition is vital for ensuring product quality, consumer safety and regulatory compliance. From assessing antioxidant levels and trace elements to detecting residues and verifying authenticity, advanced analytical methods support winemakers, quality control laboratories and regulatory agencies in maintaining standards and protecting consumers.

Objectives and Overview

This compendium presents a suite of analytical workflows for red wine and related beverages. The primary goals are to outline efficient sample preparation techniques, chromatographic and spectrometric methods, and automated assays that enable reliable quantitation of polyphenols, pesticides, isotopic ratios, metals, impurities and key metabolites in wine.

Applied Methodology and Instrumentation

Several complementary techniques are employed:

• Solid-phase extraction (SPE) and gradient HPLC for catechins and phenolic acids using HyperSep Retain PEP cartridges and Accucore PFP column on an Accela UHPLC.
• Modified QuEChERS extraction and dispersive SPE cleanup followed by LC-MS/MS detection of 24 pesticide residues on an Accucore aQ column, Dionex UltiMate 3000 LC and TSQ Vantage MS.
• Isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS) of 18O/16O in wine, juice and water using the GasBench II interface, and simultaneous 2H, 18O and 13C analysis of ethanol via FlashEA1112 HT elemental analyzer and DELTA V IRMS.
• Ultra-fast UHPLC coupled to high-resolution Orbitrap MS for direct profiling of wine antioxidants without pre-treatment, using Hypersil GOLD column and LTQ Orbitrap XL.
• Flame atomic absorption spectroscopy (FAAS) for iron, copper and zinc determination on an iCE 3300 AA instrument.
• Inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) for major and trace elements with the iCAP 7400 Duo and Qtegra ISDS software.
• Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) with SPME sampling for impurity profiling, using TRACE GC Ultra, TraceGOLD TG-5MS column and ISQ MS.
• Automated photometric assays for free sulfite, total acidity and glycerol on Gallery and Arena discrete analyzers.
• Enzymatic UV-photometric determination of acetaldehyde on Arena and Gallery analyzers.

Main Results and Discussion

Each method achieved high precision, sensitivity and throughput. The SPE-HPLC protocol delivered excellent recoveries for nine catechins and phenolic acids. The QuEChERS-LC-MS/MS approach provided low limits of quantitation, good linearity and robust cleanup of complex wine matrices. GasBench II IRMS showed no memory effects and high accuracy for δ18O measurements, while DELTA V IRMS achieved sub-0.1‰ precision for ethanol isotopes. UHPLC-Orbitrap analysis resolved complex antioxidant profiles with sub-10-second peak widths. FAAS and ICP-OES methods met EU concentration limits for metals with low detection limits. GC-MS with SPME detected organoleptic markers below sensory thresholds. Automated assays reduced analysis time for free SO2, total acidity and glycerol to under 35 minutes per 60-sample batch, and enzymatic acetaldehyde testing correlated closely with chromatographic reference methods.

Benefits and Practical Applications

• Improved sample throughput and reduced labor via automation.
• Enhanced specificity and selectivity through high-resolution chromatography and accurate-mass detection.
• Comprehensive coverage of compositional, safety and authenticity parameters.
• Compliance with regulatory limits for sulfites, pesticides, metals and isotopic labeling.
• On-site capability for rapid quality control and screening.

Future Trends and Applications

Integration of miniaturized and portable MS systems could enable in-field authenticity checks. Coupling data-rich high-resolution MS with machine learning may yield advanced fingerprinting of wine terroir. Further development of multiplexed photometric assays and lab-on-a-chip platforms promises even faster routine testing. Expansion of isotope ratio databases will strengthen origin verification and traceability.

Conclusion

This compendium demonstrates that modern analytical technologies—ranging from SPE-HPLC and QuEChERS-LC-MS/MS to IRMS, UHPLC-Orbitrap, atomic spectroscopy and automated photometry—offer powerful, complementary tools for comprehensive wine analysis. The adoption of these methods enhances quality assurance, regulatory compliance and consumer confidence.

Reference

No specific references were provided in the source document.