Mapping gaseous ethanol in the headspace of wine glasses with an interband cascade laser sensor

Under standard wine tasting conditions, volatile organic compounds responsible for the wine’s bouquet progressively invade the chemical space perceived by the consumer in the glass headspace. Thanks to the recent interband cascade laser technology, a sensor dedicated to monitor gaseous ethanol in the headspace of wine glasses was built and validated. Accordingly, the mapping of the mixing ratio of gaseous ethanol was performed, in space and time, in the headspace of a champagne glass. From the start of serving champagne in the glass, and during the several minutes following, a kind of temperature-dependent ethanol footprint was revealed in the glass headspace, which was discussed based on the vapor–liquid equilibrium combined with a purely diffusive 3D-model. • An ethanol sensor was developed using an interband cascade laser. • Ethanol vapor in a champagne glass headspace was mapped in space and time. • A temperature-dependent ethanol footprint was revealed after champagne serving. • Measurements were interpreted with vapor–liquid equilibrium and a 3D diffusion model.