**1. Introduction**

Certain varieties of grape are more likely than others to generate wine "minerality" imprint, such as the internationally known whites Riesling, Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Grüner Veltliner and Albariño, among others, and Syrah and Carignan red wines and, to a lesser extent, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and others such as Nebbiolo and Barbera. Among all these wines, some common aspects can be found when they express "minerality": when they are grown in a cold environment and/or marginal climates, harvested in early vintages avoiding over-ripeness, have high acidity or are made through reductive winemaking with a generous dose of sulfur dioxide. They generally tend to be wines with a "single vineyard" profile, potentially seeking to reflect the expression of a terroir. However, it is not exclusive to these "cuvées", since nowadays there are mass production wines in the market at popular prices, produced in di fferent countries from around the world that also reveal a sensory profile with a mineral character. In many cases, they tend to be dry white wines with high acidity and a relevant low fruity aromatic profile. In most cases, the leading market influencers and consumers interpret this perception as a value of intangible quality that praises the hedonic and economic value of the wine [1,2].

There is no doubt that the quality that the term "minerality" in wines transmits is certainly one of the most mysterious attributes from the chemical and sensory point of view. Little was known until now, since no thorough studies had been made before on how certain chemical compounds can a ffect the description of the term "minerality" by the taster and the consumer. As previously mentioned, "minerality" in wines is often associated with the "terroir" concept, often with clear commercial

purposes where the expression linked to the soil allows you to justify or argue the authenticity of the wine's origin, with examples of labels in the market that clearly convey this message with associative images and names. It would therefore be easy to link the term "minerality" to the composition and content of minerals that are present in a wine, even though there are no scientific studies to support this direct association [3].

This study is the corollary of a prior, already published research paper, "Chemical basis of mineral character at olfactory and gustatory level in white and red wines", and it aims to verify the hypothesis that certain chemicals and not essentially the metal content are responsible for the use of the attribute "minerality" in wine. This paper concludes by mentioning the chemicals associated with the term "minerality" and proposes predictive mathematical algorithms against the renowned term.

It is widely known that there is a huge list of descriptors in the wine world to articulate the qualities, types, and styles of wines at the sensory level. Undoubtedly, the use of the term "minerality" has become very popular in the 21st century and is much used by producers, distributors, and particularly by tasters and famous gurus as a relevant indicator of di fference and distinction between wines, especially among high-end and high price labels. Referring to "minerality" in the description of a wine entails endowing it with greater potential sensory and commercial value.

Over the last decade, the impact of the interpretation of this term has become internationally important. There is a strong need to find the possible causes and the origin of the association of the term "minerality" with the presence of odoriferous volatile compounds, certain minerals or other aromatic or sapid substances that may come from the soil, the metabolism of the plant itself or as a result of enological treatments applied in the winery.

The lack of a clear, well-argued definition of the term "minerality" has itself become a drawback of this powerful term. This has given rise to the enigmatic division between those who define themselves as "mineralist" who often match the "pro-terroir" profile, and those who are defined as "anti-mineralist", who, in turn, also tend to be skeptical about the very concept of "terroir", perhaps the most powerful marketing term for the wine industry.

The final aim of this study is to examine the possible association of the chemical composition of wine and its sensory attributes with the "minerality" of wine, and to use these elements as variables that are part of predictive mathematical formulas for evaluating the potential mineral character of the wine.

#### **2. Materials and Methods**
