Minty aroma compounds in red wine: Development of a novel automated HS-SPME-arrow and gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry quantification method.

A novel automated method was developed for the quantitative determination of nine terpenoids that could contribute to the minty notes of red wine bouquet. The method couples headspace SPME-Arrow extraction with GC-MS/MS analysis. PDMS/DVB fiber was chosen for the extraction and an ionization energy of 30 eV permitted to optimize the analyte detection. The optimal sample preparation consists of a two-fold dilution of the wine sample with addition of 4 g of sodium chloride while the most suitable extraction conditions take place at 50 °C for 1 h. The method shows good linearity, intraday variations between 2 and 25%, interday variations between 7 and 23% and recoveries between 80 and 119%. The method exhibits the required low detection (between 3 and 60 ng/L) and quantification (between 6 ng/L and 200 ng/L) limits. These limits have permitted the quantification of the pool of minty terpenoids in fourteen red Bordeaux wines.

Quantitative solid phase microextraction--gas chromatography mass spectrometry analysis of five megastigmatrienone isomers in aged wine.

Megastigmatrienone is a key flavor compound in tobacco. It has also been detected in wine, where it may contribute to a tobacco/incense aroma, but its importance and concentration in wines had never previously been evaluated. A method was developed and validated for quantifying the five megastigmatrienone isomers in red and white wines. Megastigmatrienone isomers were extracted by headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME), with a 65 µm film thickness polydimethylsiloxane-divinylbenzene (PDMS-DVB) fiber and analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) in selected ion monitoring mode (SIM). Several parameters affecting the length of the adsorption process (i.e., adding salt, extraction time and extraction temperature) were tested. The optimum analytical conditions were established. The LOQ were between 0.06 µg L(-1) and 0.49 µg L(-1) for white wine and 0.11 µg L(-1) and 0.98 µg L(-1) for red wine, repeatability in both types of wine was less than 10% and recovery ranged from 96% for white wine to 94% for red wine. The five isomers of megastigmatrienone were quantified in red and white wines for the first time. Concentrations ranged from 2 µg L(-1) to 41 µg L(-1) in both red and white wines. Initial results revealed a link between wine aging and megastigmatrienone levels, indicating that megastigmatrienone may be a component in wine "bouquet".

Centrifugal partition chromatography applied to the isolation of oak wood aroma precursors.

Flavours extracted from oak wood during barrel ageing contribute to the organoleptic character of wines and spirits. The aim of this work was to identify the glycosidic precursors of the key volatile compounds responsible for oak wood aroma. Oak extract is a very complex matrix and, furthermore, precursors are present in very small quantities. Preparative centrifugal partition chromatography (CPC) is a promising solution for purifying the oak extract. The solvent system was selected on the basis of the partition coefficient of glycosidase enzyme activity (Kca). Thanks to the efficacy of CPC separation, three glucoside gallates were subsequently isolated by HPLC chromatography. Vanillin-(6'-O-galloyl)-O-ß-D-glucopyranoside, 3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl-(6'-O-galloyl)-O-ß-D-glucopyranoside, and (6R,9R)-3-oxo-α-ionol-9-O-(6'-O-galloyl)-ß-glucopyranoside (macarangioside E) were isolated and identified. This was the first time that vanillin-(6'-O-galloyl)-O-ß-D-glucopyranoside was identified and the first time that macarangioside E was isolated from oak wood. Heating macarangioside E resulted in the formation of megastigmatrienone, which has an aroma reminiscent of tobacco.