Influence of different bentonites on the rare earth element concentrations of clarified Romanian wines

The rare earth element (REE) concentrations of 19 Romanian young wine samples originating from the Dealurile Moldovei viticulture area were determined by double focusing inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (DF-ICP-MS) after microwave-assisted digestion with nitric acid. The determination of Eu was hampered by the BaO molecular interference. Generally, the red wine samples were more concentrated for REEs than the white wine samples studied. The REE concentrations of the four bentonites (Gelbenton, Evergel, BW200, Tükrös) determined after their fusion were higher by three orders of magnitude than those of the wine samples. After a simulated wine purification process performed with these bentonite samples and a red and white pool samples, the REE concentrations of the clarified wine samples increased by 1.2–1.5 times for red, and 1.3–3 times for white wines in case of the fibrous bentonite sample (Gelbenton), by about 2–5 times in case of the bentonite containing ovalbumin, caseine and gelatine (Evergel), meanwhile this factor was about 20–25 for Na bentonite powder samples (BW200, Tükrös). On basis of the chemometric evaluation using the REE concentrations as input data, the majority of the Feteasca wines belonged to the same cluster as well as the two Cabernet Sauvignon to another subcluster. The adequate choice of the bentonite may allow the use of REEs as fingerprints for determining the wine provenance.