Differentiation of Romanian Wines on Geographical Origin and Wine Variety by Elemental Composition and Phenolic Components

Several wines were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC-PDA), inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), and flame atomic absorption spectroscopy (FAAS) in order to associate the concentration levels of the chemical parameters with the geographical origin of wines and wine varieties. Thus, the concentrations of 22 elements (Li, Be, Co, Ni, Cs, U, Pb, V, As, Ba, Cr, Cu, Zn, Al, Mn, Rb, Sr, Fe, Ca, Mg, Na, and K) and seven phenolic compounds (gallic acid, (+)-catechin, (-)-epicatechin, p-coumaric acid, ferulic acid, trans-cinnamic acid, and resveratrol) were analyzed in 22 wines from two different wine-producing areas of Romania. Among the phenolic compounds, (+)-catechin, (-)-epicatechin, p-coumaric acid, ferulic acid, and resveratrol concentrations were the most useful markers for wine differentiation by geographical origin and wine variety, whereas Ba, Be, Cr, Cs, Li, Mg, Na, Ni, Sr, U, and Zn were the main inorganic parameters selected. To explore the distribution pattern of the samples, aimed at differentiating the wine samples by geographical region and wine variety, principal component analysis (PCA) was applied to the obtained data.