Analytical characterization of madeira wine

Area of Science:

• Food Science
• Enology
• Analytical Chemistry

Background:

• Madeira wine is a fortified wine with a protected designation of origin.
• Ensuring the quality and safety of commercially available Madeira wine is crucial for consumers and producers.
• Variations in type and age can influence the wine's characteristics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To characterize Madeira wine available on the market.
• To assess physicochemical and sensorial parameters of Madeira wine samples.
• To determine if statistical analysis can differentiate wines based on type and age.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of 52 representative Madeira wine samples.
• Quantification of physicochemical parameters using standard methods for spirits and alcoholic beverages.
• Sensorial evaluation by a council of tasters.
• Application of principal component, discriminant, and cluster analyses.

Main Results:

• All analyzed constituents were below maximum admissible concentrations, indicating no toxicological risks.
• Madeira wine was confirmed as a high-quality beverage.
• Statistical analyses, particularly on physicochemical data, effectively differentiated wines by type and age.

Conclusions:

• Commercial Madeira wines meet quality and safety standards.
• Physicochemical profiling combined with multivariate analysis provides a robust method for Madeira wine characterization.
• The study validates the distinctiveness of different Madeira wine types and ages.