Multi-element analysis and differentiation of Chilean wines using mineral composition and multivariate statistics

Abstract

The concentration of seventeen

metal elements was analyzed in 130 commercial samples of Chilean wines, using flame atomic

absorption spectroscopy (AAS) and inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (ICP-MS).

The elements analyzed were within the usual concentration ranges previously reported in other

wine regions (for example: Fe, 2.08 ± 0.99 mgL-1; Zn, 0.71 ± 0.44 mg L-1; K, 788± 219 mg

L-1; and Na, 14.62 ± 8.6 mg L-1). When the metal content of the samples was compared among

geographic areas, significant differences in the concentration of K, Na, Mn, Mg, Zn, and Cr

were observed (p ≤ 0.05). Moreover, principal component and linear discriminant analyses,

used to discriminate wines according to geographic area, obtained adjustments above 90% for

white wines and over 70% for red wines.