Isolation, characterization, and determination of a new compound in red wine

Chromatographic separation using fluorescence as a detection mode revealed, besides a series of flavan-3-ols, the recurrent presence of an undefined compound in Bordeaux red wine. Its isolation and structure characterization by complementary means (high-resolution mass spectrometry, nuclear magnetic resonance, and chemical synthesis) has permitted us to identify it as the nitrogen-containing glycoconjugate 3-indolyl-(2R)-O-β-D-glucosyl-lactic acid. Its quantification was performed for different wines of different vine varieties and terroirs with the aim to assess whether this compound may be used as a terroir, variety, or wine process tag.