The proof is in the bottle: carbon dating reveals vintage wine fraud

Based on an article in Cosmos Magazine

According to Australian researchers approximately 5% of fine wines are mislabeled. Recently the Aussies employed carbon dating technology, most frequently used to determine the age of artifacts and bones, to learn if bottle labels match the wine within.  Their conclusion is that many collectors' wines simply don't match the label. While the practice is not thought to be wide-spread, it is growing and sommeliers are taking note.

The test the researchers used is performed by measuring the amount of carbon-12 and carbon-14 found in the grapes. As plants take in carbon dioxide both isotopes are captured as well. Carbon-12 is the most prevalent carbon isotope and is vary stable. Carbon-14, on the other hand, is radioactive. Interestingly enough, the advent of nuclear power and the atomic bomb come into play here. Until man began his nuclear endevours "all carbon-14 in the Earth's biosphere was produced by the interaction between cosmic rays and nitrogen in the upper atmosphere," according to Graham Jones of the University of Adelaide. That all changed between the late 1940s to 1963. Atomic explosions significantly increased the amount of carbon-14 floating around in our atmosphere. Since the bomb tests stopped, the fossil fuels being burnt for energy has diluted the radioactive carbon-14 content in the atmosphere. This changes the carbon-12 to carbon-14 ratio in grapes, which can then be compared to known atmospheric measurements. This allows researchers to accurately determine the vintage of wines to within a year.

The practice of vintage wine fraud is growing rapidly, and researches hope that the carbon-dating of wines will nip this in the bud. Wine collectors, connoisseurs, and sommeliers take their hobbies or profession very seriously and see this as a slight to their credibility. With the cost of some vintage wines running into the thousands wine fraud raises legal issues as well as the labeling is clearly misrepresenting the product within.

The most effective method of making sure the contents match the label: a food and wine tour of course! Tuscan Way offers upscale food and wine tours into the heart of Tuscany. Amidst sprawling valleys, medieval architecture, and classic art, guests of Tuscan Way can sample wines in the very vineyard that they were grown in, ensuring an honest, memorable, and enjoyable experience. Visit the world's finest vineyards to make sure you get what you pay for. Dinners prepared by Master Chef Carlo Romeo with wine pairings courtesy of Sommelier Romeo Innocenti will not disappoint!

Those looking for a memorable Italian food and wine trip should content the good folks over at Tuscan Way. They can be reached online at http://www.tuscanway.com or by phone at (800) 766-2390.