87Sr/86Sr isotopic ratios in vineyard soils and varietal wines from Douro Valley

Abstract

The assessment of wine authenticity is of utmost importance in the current context of a growing market globalization. The strontium isotopic ratio 87Sr/86Sr is a well-established tool for dating and tracing the origin of rocks and minerals with special interest for wine traceability. A study was developed to examine the variation of 87Sr/86Sr in wines from Douro Valley taking into account the effects of vineyard location and grape variety. The 87Sr/86Sr of soils and wines from six vineyards were determined by using an ICP-MS based analytical procedure. A total of twenty-two monovarietal wines, obtained at micro vinification scale, from relevant white and red grapevine varieties for Douro region, were analysed. The range of 87Sr/86Sr values observed in soils and wines was of 0.708–0.725 and 0.711–0.717, respectively. The present study updates the scarce knowledge available on strontium isotopic ratios in soils and wines from Douro Valley, and its results will enlarge global databank on wine composition and support comparison with other world regions.