Capillary electrophoresis was used for determination of inorganic alkali and alkali earth metal cations, inorganic anions, anions of organic acids, and carbohydrates in six Pinot Noir grape red wines. Spectrum analysis was applied to evaluate the possible chemical differences between the wines from different geographic origin. In addition, sensory evaluation was used to reveal differences between wines from the end user point of view. Both chemical analyses and the sensory evaluation revealed clear differences among the wine samples. The total concentrations of inorganic ions, carboxylate anions, and carbohydrates varied 1.9-3.1 g L-1, 4.3-5.5 g L-1, and 1.5-7.5 g L-1, respectively. Although the grape was same in all samples, the results show considerable variations in chemical composition, the red wine from Tasmanian being the most different among samples. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
