The present study was aimed at the identification, differentiation and characterization of red and white Cretan wines, which are described with Protected Geographical Indication (PGI), using ultraviolet-visible absorption spectroscopy. Specifically, the grape variety, the wine aging process and the role of barrel/container type were investigated. The combination of spectroscopic results with machine learning-based modelling demonstrated the use of absorption spectroscopy as a facile and low-cost technique in wine analysis. In this study, a clear discrimination among grape varieties was revealed. Moreover, a grouping of samples according to aging period and container type of maturation was accomplished, for the first time.
Keywords: Cretan wines; Greek wines; OPLS-DA; acacia barrel; aging; chemometrics; container; grape varieties; machine learning; multivariate analysis; oak barrel; spectral analysis; ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy; wine discrimination; wine maturation.