Analytical Determination of Furaneol (2,5-Dimethyl-4-Hydroxy-3(2H)-Furanone). Application to Differentiation of White Wines From Hybrid and Various Vitis vinifera Cultivars

¹ Institut d'Oenologie, Université de Bordeaux II 351, Cours de la Libération Talence CEDEX, France

Furaneol [2,5-dimethyl-4-hydroxy-3(2H)-furanone] was identified in white wines obtained from different cultivars which were not Vitis vinifera. An extraction method with ethyl acetate and a GC-MS has been applied to evaluate levels of this compound in different white wines, Vitis vinifera and non-Vitis vinifera, coming from different origins. Sixty-five wines of various hybrid cultivars and more than an hundred wines in general were analyzed using this method. In white wines made with hybrid grapes still used in Europe, furaneol was detected in almost all cases. As some wines made from these grapes are forbidden in Europe, this method can be used for detecting certain "frauds". The influence of the vinification method on furaneol levels has been studied. In all cases, vinification with skin contact leads to a decrease in furaneol concentrations. Furaneol levels can be increased by using pectolytic enzymes with beta-glucosidic secondary activities.

Key words: furaneol, 2,5-dimethyl-4-hydroxy-3(2H)-furnaone, Vitis vinifera, non-Vitis vinifera, white wine, gas chromatography

Submitted on April 18, 1994