Abstract
Wine analysis is a complex process, requiring multiple techniques and very in-depth multidisciplinary knowledge. Moreover,
when talking about sensorial potent wines, like Muscat or Tămâioasă Românească (from aromatic Romanian grape variety), the
identification and characterization of its volatile compounds is achieved through different methods, most calling for powerful
solvents to separate the aroma substances.
Supercritical fluid extraction is a powerful technique with great promise in organic analytical chemistry. To date, little has been
published on the use of SFE in the analysis of wine aromas.
The main objective of this study is the analysis of volatiles in samples of Tămâioasă românească wines through a custom-made
SFE method. The wine variants have been obtained by applying the general technological processes for aromatic wines, using
specific oenological products. An in-house SFE analysis method was developed and applied, the obtained extracts were then
analyzed by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS) to identify the captured compounds.
Regarding the total number of findings in respect to volatiles, the highest concentrations occur with low molecular weight
alcohols, esters and acetic acid. Besides, there were also identified other volatile compounds, such as terpenoides and phenols.
These specific compounds originate from the grape variety and give the “varietal” character to the wines.