Pattern recognition analysis applied to classification of Galician (NW spain) wines with Certified Brand of Origin Ribeira Sacra

In 39 red wines from Galicia (NW Spain), some trace elements were determine d by atomic spectroscopy. Data were processed using multivariate chemometri c techniques involving principal component analysis, discriminant analysis and K nearest neighbours to develop a typification for wine samples of Ribe ira Sacra origin. The wines with Certified Brand of Origin (CBO) Ribeira Sa cra can be differentiated from the wines of two other CBOs from Galicia: Ri beiro and Valdeorras. The latter CBOs make wines with the same grape variet y; hence they are possible substitutes for falsification of Ribeira Sacra w ines owing to their similar organoleptic properties. By means of multivaria te techniques of data exploration, two main groups of samples (Ribeira Sacr a and non-Ribeira Sacra wines) were observed. Exploratory analysis results were confirmed using supervised procedures of data classification. Using li thium and iron content as key features, a satisfactory classification was a chieved. (C) 1999 Society of Chemical Industry.