There is a growing trend in food industry in combining safety and quality attributes of products with their distinct regional identity. In this study we used data on several elements (Cd, Cu, Cr, Zn, Pb and Ni) and phenolic compounds (gallic acid, syringic acid, p-coumaric acid, (+)-catechin, (-)-epicatechin, trans-resveratrol, rutin, quercetin and vanillin) as complementary markers in the attempt to characterise and differentiate wines from three wine-growing areas (Murfatlar, Recas and Jidvei) of Romania, according to their geographical and varietal origin. Wines from south-eastern region (Murfatlar) were characterized by their lower content in Cu, Cr and Ni, compared with wines from western (Recas) and central (Jidvei) region, while the content of phenolic compounds in the wine samples showed a visible variation, depending both of the grape variety and geographical origin. The statistical processing tools applied to our results allowed robust di�erentiation between regions, wine varieties, and vintage year. The phenolic compounds (gallic acid, (+)-catechin, (-)-epicatechin, rutin, quercetin and resveratrol) showed the best correlations for the varietal discrimination of wines. Using discriminant analysis, a correct classification of the wines by variety was achieved in proportion of 88.89% (based only by phenolic compounds) and 92.59 % (based both on phenolic compounds and metals), revealing that the content of Cu, Cr and Ni is significant for discrimination. Moreover, a 100% successful classification of wines by region of origin was accomplished.
Characterization and classification of wines according to geographical origin, vintage and specific variety based on elemental content: a new chemometric approach
