Characteristic parameters of honey wines and dessert meads

The aim of this study was to evaluate the chemical composition of 17 samples of mead originating from the Czech Republic. The samples included honey wines (made only from water and honey) and dessert meads which were treated mainly by the addition of sugar or alcohol. The following chemical parameters were analysed: ethanol, sugar-free extract, hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), sugars (monosaccharides, disaccharides), organic acids, assimilable nitrogen, and polyphenols. Substantial differences were found between samples: i) the content of glucose and fructose was 2.5–113.1 g L–1 and 17.3–136.3 g L–1, respectively; ii) the HMF content ranged from 1.0 mg L–1 to 87.7 mg L–1. The most abundant organic acids were lactic acid (average 1.0 g L–1), gluconic acid (0.6 g L–1), and acetic acid (0.4 g L–1); the amount of phenolic compounds was 151.9–385.3 mg gallic acid equivalent (GAE) L–1. Honey wines typically contained turanose (2.0–7.6 g L–1) and trehalose (1.1–10.1 g L–1), while dessert mead was characterised by an increased sucrose content (up to 76.5 g L–1).