Detecting Counterfeit Wine

Wine enthusiasts with deep pockets pay tens of thousands of dollars for the best vintages. But are they getting what they pay for?

Well-known wine merchant Harry Rodenstock was sued by billionaire Bill Koch after experts determined that the four bottles of 1787 Chateau Lafite he purchased from Rodenstock (supposedly owned by Thomas Jefferson) were fake. Oh yes, the price tag? $500,000.

Less-notable vintages – usually from the French Bordeaux region – are faked all the time. Old bottles and counterfeit labels are used to deceive consumers, who often can’t taste the difference. (But that’s another story.) Even sommeliers can be fooled.

Enter the “electronic tongue” created by Spanish researchers. It analyzes a drop of wine and checks its unique chemical signature against a database of certified vintage wines. No more guesswork. Either it’s the real thing or it isn’t.

(Source: Popular Science)

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