Determination of ethanol content in wine through a porous silicon oxide microcavity

This paper reports on a new sensor, based on a porous silicon oxide microcavity, for the determination of the alcoholic strength of white and red wines. The shift of the cavity mode due to interaction with ethanol is monitored in continuous way by means of Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy comparing the data obtained in condensation and evaporation mode. The results demonstrate the advantage of working in evaporation mode and the possibility to determine the alcoholic strength of wine with a good reproducibility and selectivity.