Dimitra Capone

Dr Dimitra Capone

ARC Research Associate

School of Agriculture, Food and Wine

Faculty of Sciences, Engineering and Technology

Eligible to supervise Masters and PhD - email supervisor to discuss availability.


Dr Dimitra Capone is an ARC Research Associate with The University of Adelaide. Dr Capone completed a PhD in 2012, on the development and application of novel analytical methods to the identification, formation and fate of two important wine aroma compounds.

Dimitra has more than 20 years of previous experience in the area of aroma and flavour chemistry at The Australian Wine Research Institute. She has extensive experience in both targeted and untargeted methods for the analysis of many groups of volatile compounds and their precursors in grape and wine samples, using techniques such as GC-MS, HPLC-MS/MS and GC-MS/MS. Additionally, Dimitra has experience with multivariate data analysis, combining chemical and sensory datasets to determine the important compounds relating to various wine sensory attributes.

Targeted methods are reported in more than 25 peer-reviewed publications and encompass a wide array of volatile compounds. These methods are used routinely for research and encompass groups of compounds arising from grapes, fermentation and ageing. These range from monoterpenes, norisoprenoids, ethyl esters, lactones, 1,8-cineole, and oxidised compounds, to taints such as chloroanisoles and chlorophenols. Dimitra’s research has also involved some of the most analytically-challenging compounds, such as potent thiols associated with ‘citrus’, ‘grapefruit’, ‘smoke’ and ‘roasted coffee’ aromas in certain wine styles.

Analytical approaches using GC-MS, GC-MS-Olfactometry, and LC-MS/MS have led to the identification of compounds that were responsible for characteristic aroma attributes including ‘plastic-like’ taints from various sources, and compounds important to ‘green’ aroma in red wine. Additionally, Dimitra has identified the presence of new varietal thiol precursor intermediates and developed stable isotope dilution analysis methods for accurate quantitation of these compounds, as outlined in her peer-reviewed publication list.

Dimitra has a passion for wine chemistry and welcomes discussions on any aspects of her research interests.

  • Current Higher Degree by Research Supervision (University of Adelaide)

    Date Role Research Topic Program Degree Type Student Load Student Name
    2023 Principal Supervisor Microfluidic Device for Bespoke Levels of Food Product Personalisation Doctor of Philosophy under a Jointly-awarded Degree Agreement with Doctorate Full Time Ms Thitima Sombuttan
    2023 Principal Supervisor Use of Instrumentation to Characterise Plant Based Meat Analogs (PBMA) and Develop Flavour Improvements to Drive Purchase Intent Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Nick Kuhlman
  • Past Higher Degree by Research Supervision (University of Adelaide)

    Date Role Research Topic Program Degree Type Student Load Student Name
    2020 - 2021 Co-Supervisor Sensory Characterisation of Australian Cabernet Sauvignon Wine Typicity Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Dr Lira Souza Gonzaga
    2019 - 2023 Co-Supervisor Rootstock Effects on Grape Rachis Composition and the Implications for Red Wine Quality Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Ross David Sanders
    2018 - 2022 Co-Supervisor Authentication of Australian Red Wines Using Fluorescence Spectroscopy and Machine Learning Classification Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mrs Ruchira Ranaweera
    2018 - 2022 Co-Supervisor Varietal Thiols and Precursors: Biogenesis, Reactivity, and Impact of Winemaking Practices Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Xingchen Wang
    2018 - 2021 Co-Supervisor Investigating the Role of Volatile Signalling in Plant Responses to Drought Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Suzanne Laura Balacey
    2015 - 2019 Co-Supervisor Polyfunctional Thiols in Wine: Chirality, Precursor Stereochemistry, Winemaking Impacts, and Fate Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Liang Chen
  • Consulting/Advisories

    Date Institution Department Organisation Type Country
    2020 - ongoing The Australian Journal of Grape and Wine Research Advisory Committee Business and professional Australia
  • Position: ARC Research Associate
  • Phone: 83137239
  • Email: dimitra.capone@adelaide.edu.au
  • Campus: Waite
  • Building: Wine Innovation Central, floor 4
  • Org Unit: Agricultural Science

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