Trace element fingerprinting of Canadian wines

Taylor, Vivien (2001) Trace element fingerprinting of Canadian wines. Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

[English] PDF (Migrated (PDF/A Conversion) from original format: (application/pdf)) - Accepted Version Available under License - The author retains copyright ownership and moral rights in this thesis. Neither the thesis nor substantial extracts from it may be printed or otherwise reproduced without the author's permission. Download (22MB) [English] PDF - Accepted Version Available under License - The author retains copyright ownership and moral rights in this thesis. Neither the thesis nor substantial extracts from it may be printed or otherwise reproduced without the author's permission. (Original Version)

Abstract

Wines from Canada's two major wine grape growing regions, the Niagara Peninsula, Ontario and the Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, were fingerprinted with 100% correct classification, using the elements Al, V, Mn, Co, Zn, Sr, Rb, Mo, Sb, and U, for the purpose of verifying region of origin. Wines were diluted 2:1 with 0.2 M HNO₃ and element concentrations in wine were determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), with precision <5% for Cd, Sb, Ba, TI, Pb, and U; <10% for As, Rb, Sr, Mo, Cs, La, Ce, and Th; <15% for V, Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, Ag, and Bi; <20% for Mg, Al, Ca, Co, Ni, and Br; and <25% for Li, Be, Ti, Se, and I; and 27% for CI and P. Element concentrations were log transformed to give a better evaluation of the consistency of the data given the assumptions evolved in parametric statistical models. Graphical analysis and multivariate statistics were used to discriminate wine by region, and the element Sr was found to have the highest discriminating power. Analysis of vineyard soils by X-ray fluorescence also revealed that Sr, as well as Ca, Ba, and Ti, can be used to discriminate soils from the two regions unequivocally. Note the relationship between soil and wine concentrations was not linear. Elements in wine grouped by principal component analysis showed agreement with elements grouped by ionic potential, suggesting element mobility has a strong influence on element concentrations in wine. Discriminant and cluster analysis of the Okanagan wines grouped wines made from grapes from the same vineyard to a high degree, suggesting individual vineyards could be fingerprinted for this region. The Niagara wines were grouped to a lesser extent by these statistical procedures, possibly due to the more homogeneous geology and climate of the Niagara region.

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