Growing consumer demand for wine has lead to optimized production and science-based, enological methods. Today, elemental analysis of wine helps wine makers manage the entire production process from ascertaining the maturity of grapes; to control of the fermentation process; to determinations of wine clarity, taste, shelf life and final product quality.
As a natural food, wine is influenced by the surrounding environmental conditions. Therefore, national and international regulations are in place to ensure that harmful levels of toxic substances –– pesticides, insecticides, and other toxic elements — are minimized during production and in the final product.
This paper demonstrates the ability of ICP-OES spectroscopy to determine trace elements in wine utilizing direct aspiration without prior sample digestion using a SPECTRO ARCOS with radial plasma observation. Excellent results were obtained for spike recovery measurements performed for a variety of different wines and indicated more than adequate sensitivity to fulfill regulatory requirements and with shorter analysis time.