Analyses of some California Wine Vinegars: Volatile Acidities, Tartrates, and Absorbances at 280 Millimicrons

Abstract

Fifty-eight California red wine vinegar samples are analyzed for volatile acidity, total tartrates by the metavanadate procedure, and absorbance at the maximum near 280 mµ. For the 34 unfinished submerged culture samples (as withdrawn from the acetification stage) volatile acidity ranged from 5.45 to 10.49 g/100 ml with a mean of 9.54±0.63 g/100 ml as acetic acid. The total tartrates ranged from 112 to 180 mg/100 ml (mean 134±13); and absorbance, 1-cm light path on sample diluted 1:60 with distilled water at the maximum near 280 mµ, ranged from 0.241 to 0.640 (mean 0.352±.083).

For 22 finished submerged culture samples volatile acidity ranged from 4.25 to 6.96 g/100 ml (mean 5.44±0.44), tartrates ranged from 52 to 225 mg/100 ml (mean 120±50), and absorbance ranged from 0.028 to 0.338 (mean 0.185±0.071).

Using total tartrates and absorbance analyses, together with analyses for total solids, ash, ash alkalinity, phosphorus, nitrogen, esters, acetoin, methylguanidineacetic acid anhydride, amino acids, and pigments as proposed in earlier researches, differentiation between red wine vinegars and other vinegar types should be very nearly certain.