European Network on NMR Relaxometry

Scientific activity in Viticulture and Enology in the fields of wine quality, quality control, wine food safety and wine authenticity. Specialization in mineral composition of grape and wine, with special regard to trace and ultra-trace elements. Specialization in ICP-MS analytical methodologies for elemental and isotopic characterization. In 2007, the main research activity was directed towards wine authenticity topic – chemical fingerprints of geographic origin. Responsible investigator of the project “Multi-elemental composition and isotope ratios as fingerprints of wine geographic origin” (FCT PTDC/AGR-ALI/64655/2006). Currently is investigating the role of new and traditional technological processes/enological practices in elemental composition and in 87Sr/86Sr isotopic ratio, in order to test the robustness of these markers of geographic origin. It is claimed that the information on latent parameters such as grape variety, origin and vintage is coded in multivariate patterns of multiple parameters in the NMR spectra rather coded in single spectrum markers. Thus, each NMR spectrum could be regarded as a personal fingerprint of each wine sample including all information about variety, origin, vintage, physiological state and technological treatments. Thus the main objective of this participation is to explore the potentialities of NMR for characterization, in terms of grape variety, geographic origin and vintage year, and traceability of wine.