The Automated Nose of a Master of Wine
Since only 417 Masters of Wine exist globally (and their palates and noses)—and they are amazing in identifying wines by grape varietal or blend, type, vintage and location—it is a good idea to have some automated backup when it comes to wine fraud detection. Aside from other analytical methods, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy can be used in the authentication of wine. The new proton measurement 1H NMR Method with easier sample preparation is recommended for the investigation of wine fraud, to detect for example the addition of water or sugar. NMR spectroscopy measures several compounds of a wine at once and therefore is able to detect a fingerprint of a wine, such as the geographic origin or grape varietal.
Resource
- Solovyev, P.A., et. al. (January 27, 2021) “NMR spectroscopy in wine authentication: An official control perspective”. Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety. Wiley Online Library.
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