How SPME Keeps Revolutionizing the Analysis of Volatile Compounds in Wine

Since its introduction in the early 1990s, the solid-phase microextraction (SPME) technique has continuously gained in popularity. It is well suited to aqueous matrices and quickly became the method of choice for the analysis of wine aromas. It advantageously replaced the previous liquid-liquid extraction methods that were laborious, time-consuming, and used large amounts of solvents.

Wine is a highly complex matrix with hundreds of components ranging from traces to g/L and many minor compounds have a high sensory impact. To detect and quantify known or unknown wine components, powerful and selective extraction techniques are required as well as highly sensitive and selective MS detectors.

Examples of SPME-GC-MS analyses for some important wine analytes will be exposed as well as the recent contribution of the new SPME-arrow technique.

Presenter: Céline Franc (Research Engineer, Institute of Vine and Wine Science and Oenology Research Laboratory, University of Bordeaux, France)

Céline received her PhD in organic chemistry from Ecole Polytechnique (Palaiseau – France) in 2004. After a 2-year postdoctoral fellowship in asymmetric catalysis in Dublin (Ireland) she joined the oenology research group of Bordeaux University (France) as an analytical chemist in 2006. In the analytical chemistry and sensory analysis team, she develops new analytical methods for wine and other matrices of oenological interest. She is particularly interested in pesticides as well as flavour and off-flavour compounds.