FTIR and chemometric tools for the classification of Thai wines

A simple and rapid Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopic method was developed to determine the content in wines without sample preparation or use of organic solvents. This research aimed at classifying seven Thai wines from various regions by employing both instrumental and statistical analysis. FTIR spectra in the region between 650-4000 cm(-1) were characterised and used for multivariate chemometric analysis by principal component analysis (PCA), discriminant analysis (DA) and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA). Application of PCA to FTIR data revealed the pattern and relationship of each brand or trademark. Thai wines were effectively distinguished by DA according to their trademarks and can be divided into four main groups according to HCA. All of the multivariate analyses yield similar conclusions that Thai wines cannot be clearly classified in terms of geographical origin. However, additional samples may provide further insight into the geographical distribution of Thai wines.