Identification of metabolic content of selected Amarone wine

The metabolic characterisation of food and beverages nowadays has been largely employed in combination with multivariate data analysis. In this work, the valuable Amarone Passito dry red wine produced in Verona area (Italy) was investigated in order to find a possible correlation between metabolic content and vintage/ageing process. A total number of 46 wine samples from 11 different winemakers, three different vintages and ageing process were investigated without sample preparation. H-1 NMR spectra were analysed in combination with principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least square discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) protocols to investigate vintage and ageing effects on samples differentiation based on the metabolic content. The results indicated amino acids, sugars, and aromatic compounds the most relevant discriminant variables for Amarone wine samples. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.