Stable carbon isotopic analysis and the botanical origin of ethanol in Brazilian brandies
1999; Elsevier BV; Volume: 32; Issue: 10 Linguagem: Inglês
10.1016/s0963-9969(99)00143-x
ISSN1873-7145
AutoresLucilene Pissinatto, Luiz Antônio Martinelli, R. L. Victória, Plínio Barbosa de Camargo,
Tópico(s)Archaeology and ancient environmental studies
ResumoCarbon isotopic composition (δ13C) of Brazilian brandies was used to determine the contribution of sugar from C3 or C4 plants to their ethanol content. C3 plants have an average δ13C value of −27‰, against an average value of −12‰ for C4 plants. This difference is large enough to permit determination of the origin of the ethanol fermented from plants. There are two types of brandy in Brazil: one called “conhaque-de-gengibre”, where ethanol from any plant can be used, and another called “brandy”, where only ethanol from grapes can be used. The less expensive brandies, classified as “conhaque de gengibre”, have their ethanol content derived exclusively from sugar-cane (average δ13C equal to −12.9‰), while in the Brazilian brandies it was a mixture of sugar-cane and grapes (average δ13C equal to −18.0‰). In Brazilian “brandies” there was an inverse relationship between its price and the carbon isotopic composition, indicating that higher prices is associated to larger proportions of ethanol from grapes.
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