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Shedding Light on Metals Release from ChestnutWood toWine Spirit Using ICP-MS

Publication . Catarino, Sofia; Thanasi, Vasiliki; Morin, Gael; Anjos, Ofélia; Fernandes, Tiago A.; Caldeira, Ilda; Fargeton, Laurent; Boissier, Benjamin; Canas, Sara

Possible effects caused by mineral elements during wine spirit ageing are diverse. In this study, the evolution of the mineral composition of wine spirit during ageing with chestnut (Castanea sativa Mill.) wood was investigated. A wine distillate was aged in 250 L wooden barrels (traditional ageing) and in 50 L glass demijohns with wood staves and micro-oxygenation (alternative ageing). Sampling was performed after 21, 60, 180, 270, and 365 days of ageing. The elemental composition of the wine spirits, including alkaline, alkaline earth metals, and heavy metals, was assessed by quadrupole inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (Q-ICP-MS). For most of the elements, no significant differences between wine spirits from distinct ageing modalities were observed. Ageing time had significant effect on most of them, with different trends and distinct magnitude of changes, depending on each specific element. The concentrations of the mineral elements found in the wine spirits were very low, especially those of heavy metals, which is quite positive in terms of quality and food safety. Novel information on metals released from chestnut wood to wine spirits confirms its appropriateness for ageing this beverage

2022-11Journal article

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Coumarins in spirit beverages: sources, quantification, and their involvement in quality, authenticity and food safety

Publication . Oliveira-Alves, Sheila; Lourenço, Sílvia; Fernandes, Tiago A.; Canas, Sara

This comprehensive review is devoted to an under-exploited family of phenolic compounds, the coumarins, and the most relevant strands in which they are involved in some spirit beverages— wine spirit, brandy, whiskey, sugar-cane spirits (rum and cachaça) and grape marc spirit—with great importance worldwide in terms of production, trade and consumption. It gathers the key discoveries on the topic, considering the production process of each spirit beverage, and the related sources of coumarins (different kinds of wood used in the ageing stage), along with the factors that govern them and can influence the sensory properties of the aged beverages. An overview of the analytical methods available for their identification/quantification is also included, as well as the corresponding trends for the advancement of knowledge in this field. Moreover, the remarkable role of coumarins as nutraceuticals, their importance as chemical markers for authenticity purposes, and their relationship with the food safety of these spirit beverages are also addressed, highlighting the current gaps and issues, and providing clues for future research.

2024-01Journal article

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