EVOLUTION OF CADMIUM CONTENT DURING MAKIN G OF COTES-DU-RHONE WINES AND OTHER WINES FROM THE RHONE VALLEY

Cadmium levels have been determined during ''cotes du Rhone'' and Rhon e valley wine making in 21 locations. Cadmium levels in soil (average 0.3 mg/kg) and leaves (average 26.8 mg/kg) of patches was similar to t hose determined earlier. Grapes cadmium levels vary between 0 and 38.6 mug/kg of fresh weight. So do the musts, but for one of them, contami nated by contact material. During alcoholic fermentation cadmium elimi nation is almost complete, with losses between 87 to 100%; less contai ned 5 to 50.7 mug/kg in 90% of the samples. Cadmium contents after mal olactic fermentation in wines are lower than 1 mug/l much less than le vels found 15 years ago (10 to 25 mug/l).