Chemometric characterization of the cypriot spirit "zivania".

In 42 alcoholic beverages produced in Cyprus and other countries, 26 chemical and physical-chemical variables were determined by HPLC and GC chromatography, (1)H NMR and ICP spectroscopy, and other techniques. Data were processed using multivariate chemometric techniques, involving principal component analysis, cluster analysis, regularized discriminant analysis, and classification and regression trees. Zivania can be differentiated from beverages from other countries. Using 2- and 3-methyl-butanol, 2-methyl-propanol, furfural, methanol, and the alcoholic grade and the chemical shift of -CH(3) in (1)H NMR spectra as features, a nearly correct classification for zivania was achieved. The reasons for diversions are given.