Abstract:

A novel procedure was established for the characterization of δ¹³C values of glycerol and ethanol in wine by liquid chromatography-isotope ratio mass spectrometry (LC-IRMS). Several parameters influencing the separation of glycerol and ethanol from wine matrix were optimized. The precision and accuracy of the proposed method were 0.15‰ to 0.26‰ and 0.11‰ to 0.28‰, respectively. The results obtained for 40 wine samples displayed that the δ¹³C value of glycerol ranged from -26.87‰ to -32.96‰ and that of ethanol ranged from -24.06‰ to -28.29‰. Close correlations (R=0.82) were obtained between the δ¹³C values of glycerol and ethanol. The proposed method didn't need complex sample treatment, and the δ¹³C values of glycerol and ethanol in wine can be simultaneously determined, thus improving the method in terms of simplicity and speed compared with traditional methods.

Key words: δ¹³C values, ethanol, glycerol, liquid chromatography-isotope ratio mass spectrometry (LC-IRMS), wine