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A method for the quantitative determination of 2-hydroxy-2-methylbutanoic (2OH2MB), 2-hydroxy-3-methylbutanoic (2OH3MB), 3-hydroxy-3-methylbutanoic (3OH3MB), 2-hydroxy-4-methylpentanoic (2OH4MP) and 3-hydroxybutanoic (3OHB) acids has been optimized, validated and applied to a set of wines and other alcoholic beverages. The analytes were preconcentrated in a solid phase extraction cartridge and derivatized with 2,3,4,5,6-pentafluorobenzyl bromide at room temperature for 30 min, followed by GC-MS analysis. Detection limits were between 0.5 and 29 μg L, and linearity was maintained up to 3 or 12 mg L, depending on the analyte. Recovery values were between 85 and 106 %, and reproducibility was better than 12 % RSD in most cases. The first specific study of these analytes in wine and other alcoholic beverages is herein reported. Concentrations ranged from the method detection limits to 7820, 519, 8510, 3470 and 2500 μg L for 2OH2MB, 2OH3MB, 3OH3MB, 2OH4MP and 3OHB, respectively, which may have relevant sensory effects. These products were not found in distillates (except 3OHB) but were all present in beer. 2OH2MB, 3OH3MB and 3OHB were found in unfermented grape derivatives. Sherry wines had the highest levels of all except for 3OHB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A method for trace-level analysis of 3-alkyl-2-methoxypyrazines (MPs) based on mixed-bed cation-exchange solid phase extraction followed by heart-cut multidimensional gas chromatographic analysis was applied in a trial on viticultural and enological treatments of Sauvignon blanc wines produced in Germany. The quantification was based on a stable isotope dilution assay using deuterated MPs. For method comparison, detection was either with selected ion monitoring with a quadrupole mass spectrometer (MS) or after selected reaction monitoring using a triple quadrupole MS. Comparable performance for MP detection in the lower ng L concentration range was found for both detection methods; however, in some cases, matrix problems could only be solved with MS/MS detection. It could be shown that MP levels varied considerably between the investigated vintages, with concentrations often well below 10 ng L. Leaf removal as a viticultural trial was a measure to decrease MP concentrations; however, the effects observed were low in the vintages studied here. Cold maceration and stem addition to the must were found as valuable enological means for increasing the MP concentration and improving the green sensory notes typical for cold climate Sauvignon blanc wines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A new method for analysing 3-isopropyl-2-methoxypyrazine, 3-sec-butyl-2-methoxypyrazine and 3-isobutyl-2-methoxypyrazine in wine has been developed and applied to wine. The analytes are extracted from 25mL of wine in a solid-phase extraction cartridge filled with 60mg of cation-exchange mixed-mode sorbent. Analytes are recovered with triethylamine in dichloromethane and the organic extract is analysed by GC–SIM–MS using 3-isopropyl-2-ethoxypyrazine as internal standard. The detection limits of the method are in all cases under 1ng/L, below the olfactory thresholds of the compounds in wine. The repeatability of the method is around 15% for levels in wine of 2ng/L. Linearity is satisfactory and recoveries are in all cases close to 100% with RSD between 13% and 20%. The method has been applied to the analysis of 12 Chilean white and 8 Spanish red wines. The levels found suggest that 3-alkyl-2-methoxypyrazines can exert a significant sensory contribution to the aroma of Chilean Sauvignon Blanc wines, while most likely they play a nearly negligible role on traditional Ribera and Rioja Spanish red wines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]