Development of a HS-SPME-GC-MS method for the characterization of Greek PDO and PGI wines and grape musts during alcoholic fermentation

Abstract

Greece is a country with a great production of quality wines, including Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) and Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) wines, produced of over 300 native cultivars. Several factors, such as cultivar, region, climate and vinification process, are considered to be important for the characterization of wine quality. In the present study, a HS-SPME-GC-MS method was developed after optimization of the extraction parameters. 70 samples of six monovarietal Greek PGI and PDO wine samples and 44 PDO Muscat of Alexandria grape must samples received several times during alcoholic fermentation were analyzed with the proposed method. Over one hundred metabolites were identified and relative quantified in all samples. Multivariate statistical analysis and biomarker assessment were performed using the SIMCA package and the Metaboanalyst online platform to discriminate wine samples according colour and variety-region, to determine the authenticity of some floral Greek cultivars, such as Moschofilero, via typical compound classes and to monitor variations of the concentration of volatile metabolites of grape must during alcoholic fermentation.