Multivariate characterization of wine vinegars from the south of Spain according to their metallic content.

Forty wine vinegar samples from the south of Spain were analyzed for mineral content. Nine metals (As, Ca, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na and Zn) were chosen as chemical features that may account for the rate of the vinegar fermentation process. Pattern recognition techniques were applied for distinguishing quick and slow processed vinegars. The results obtained indicated an excellent performance in both recalling and prediction ability.