Certification of the alcoholic strength, δ13C and deuterium isotopic ratio in ethanol from grape sugar fermentation (ca. 96 % vol.) : ERM®-AE201

ERM-AE201 is an ethanol based material certified for the deuterium-to-hydrogen (D/H) amount-of-substance ratios, the relative deuterium-to-hydrogen ratio (R), the δ13C value as well as the alcoholic strength mass fraction. The material was produced within the scope of ISO 17034:2016 accreditation. The certified reference material (CRM) is available in glass ampoules containing at least 10 mL of ethanol. The between-unit homogeneity was quantified and stability during transport and storage was assessed in accordance with ISO 33405:2024. Within-unit homogeneity was quantified to determine the minimum sample size. The minimum sample size for one measurement of the deuterium-to-hydrogen (D/H) amount-of-substance ratios and the relative deuterium-to-hydrogen ratio content is defined by the sample preparation protocol described in the standard method OIV-MA-AS311-05. The δ13C and alcoholic strength minimum sample sizes were defined by the results derived from the characterisation studies. The material was characterised by an interlaboratory comparison of laboratories of demonstrated competence and adhering to ISO/IEC 17025:2017. All data sets were technically valid and outliers were retained since no technical reason for the deviation was found. Uncertainties of the certified values include uncertainties related to possible inhomogeneity, instability and characterisation. The material is intended for the assessment of method performance. As with any reference material, it can be used for establishing control charts or validation studies. Before release of the CRM, the certification project was subjected to peer-review involving both internal and external experts.