Mass-spectrometric study on 13C/12C carbon and 18O/16O oxygen stable isotopes distributions in grapes and wines from the Black Sea regions

Abstract

The present study continues the 2015–2016 research project on biological characteristics of stable isotopes fractionation in grapes taking into account the agro-climatic growth conditions of this representative of the C3-pathway of photosynthesis group of plants in different geographical Black Sea regions. The first parts of the project were presented at the 39th and 40th Congresses of OIV in Bento Gonçalves (Brazil) and Sofia (Bulgaria). The scientific data on compositions of 13C/12C carbon and 18O/16O oxygen stable isotopes in carbohydrates, organic acids, and intracellular water were obtained for grapes of 2015–2016 growing seasons in the four areas of the Crimean peninsula as well as in several areas of the Don Basin and the Western Caspian region. This report presents the results of the 2017 season study of 13C/12C carbon and 18O/16O oxygen stable isotopes in carbohydrates and intracellular water of 12 red and white grape varieties (Aligote, Rkatsiteli, Sauvignon Zeleny, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot, Risling, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, Sira, Krasnostop) as well as in ethanol of wines made from corresponding grapes from the Crimean Peninsula and South-West Coast of the Greater Caucasus. To measure the ratio of carbon isotopes 13C/12C in grape (must) carbohydrates and wine ethanol the Flash-Combustion technique (FC-IRMS/SIRA) has been used, while the method of isotopic equilibration (EQ-IRMS/SIRA) has been used for the measurement of 18O/16O oxygen isotopes ratio in the intracellular water of grapes (must) and in the water fraction of wine. The GC-Combustion technique (GC-IRMS/SIRA) has been used for the first time to measure the carbon isotopes 13C/12C distribution in ethanol of studied wines. It has been found that the δ13CVPDB values for carbohydrates of red and white grape varieties as a result of biological fractionation of carbon isotopes in the agro-climatic conditions of plant growth (2017 season) for the studied geographical areas formed the following quantitative ranges: from − 26.72 to − 23.35‰ (the Crimean Peninsula) and from − 25.92 to − 23.87‰ (South-West Coast of the Greater Caucasus). The δ13CVPDB values for wine ethanol are in the following ranges: from − 28.15 to − 24.47‰ (the Crimean Peninsula) and from − 27.29 to − 25.78‰ (South-West Coast of the Greater Caucasus). The δ18OVSMOW values in intracellular water of grapes of the 2017 season range from − 1.24 to 2.17‰ (the Crimean Peninsula) and from 1.08 to 4.09‰ (South-West Coast of the Greater Caucasus). The results of this study show, in comparison with the results of studies of the 2015 and 2016 seasons, a decrease in the δ13CVPDB values for carbohydrates of grapes and ethanol of wine, which is explained by the changed climatic conditions of grapes growing in the vegetation period of 2017.