Statistical investigation of the differences in the distribution of metals in Nebbiolo-based wines

Sixty-eight samples of red wines were analysed with inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Fifty-six elements were determined, mainly metal ions at trace level concentrations. The set of samples was constituted by five classes of wines obtained from Nebbiolo grape, produced in different zones inside the province of Cuneo (Piedmont, Italy). On the basis of the elements distribution, chemometric techniques of discriminant analysis and principal components analysis were applied to distinguish the five classes. A good separation was obtained among the wines, with respect to their geographical provenance. The results obtained show that the determination of the elemental composition could be a fast way to characterise and classify wine samples. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.