Dr. Eric Anslyn and his team of undergraduate research students have created receptors that respond to tannins in different types of grapes.

January 05, 2011

vWhen a wine label reads “Merlot,” most consumers believe that’s what’s inside, but while scientists can genetically identify grapes, there hasn’t been a way to ID grape varieties in a finished wine. But now an ongoing medical study at the University of Texas may have found a solution that could give the wine industry a new tool in authentication. Scientists at the university, with help from colleagues at the University of California at Davis, have developed a sensor that can identify grape varieties in wine by measuring and identifying the tannins.

Dr. Eric Anslyn and his team of undergraduate research students have created receptors that respond to tannins in different types of grapes. The process involves placing a combination of chemicals on display plates with 96 separate wells. The team then adds samples of wine to these receptors. “The receptors change color when we apply mixtures of tannins,” said Anslyn. Using a computer program to analyze the results, the team tested different types of red wines and found that the tannins produce different recognizable patterns. “It really relates to the DNA coding of the wine.”

The group chose to study red wines since they have the most tannins. They tested varietals, including Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Shiraz and Gamay, from various producers. White wines were not included in the test, but Anslyn believes that the procedure can distinguish between white grapes since they contain tannins as well.

For years, scientists and producers have had to rely on other methods to identify grapes. “With fresh [grapes] you can do genetic analysis,” said Dr. Andrew Waterhouse, viticulture and enology chair at U.C. Davis. But there have been no tests that can identify varietals once they go through the winemaking process. “When you look at wine, the DNA is broken down so much that, so far, no one has been able to capture the DNA [of the grapes] from finished wine.”

According to Anslyn, the study’s goal was not to produce a tool for the wine industry. The undergraduate team was attempting to create a device that can mimic mammals’ senses of taste and smell to create diagnostic solutions for diseases. They wanted to analyze tannins. “The real basis of this work is to prove that technology can distinguish mixtures of chemicals and where they come from,” Anslyn said. He decided to study wine because of its complexity and because people are interested in it.

There are limits to the technique, however. It can’t determine the provenance of the wines, and obviously the wine must be opened to be tested. “With the limited set of wines we studied we could tell one varietal from another with some outliers,” said Anslyn. So far the error rate for the test is still unknown. Anslyn also said that the process has not addressed wine blends or aged wines though he is certain that there will be a point in the future when they will be able to authenticate both.

The method could prove useful—when wine companies purchase bulk or already bottled wines from another producer they have few ways of verifying the wine’s grape varieties. And while the technique is still in its early stages, it could become a tool in helping wine companies authenticate counterfeit bottles. Counterfeiters have been known to make knock-off labels of premium brands and attach them to inexpensive bottles of wine or mislabel wines with different grape varieties. The test could help organizations like the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), which checks for improperly labeled wines. “We are interested in any viable approach that can reliably determine the varietal authenticity of wines,” said Tom Hogue, a spokesman for the TTB.

Source: http://www.winespectator.com/webfeature/show/id/44272

Clark Wine Center was built in 2003 by Hong Kong-based Yats International Leisure Philippines to become the largest wine shop in Philippines supplying Asia’s wine lovers with fine vintage wines at attractive prices. Today, this wine shop in Clark Philippines offers over 2000 selections of fine wines from all major wine regions in the world. As a leading wine supplier in Philippines, Pampanga’s Clark Wine Center offers an incomparable breadth of vintages, wines from back vintages spanning over 50 years. Clark Wine Center is located in Pampanga Clark Freeport Zone adjacent to Angeles City, just 25 minutes from Subic and 45 minutes from Manila.

Wines from Burgundy, Bordeaux, Rhone, Loire, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Austria, Alsace, USA, Australia, New Zealand, Italy, South Africa, Chile and Argentina etc. are well represented in this Clark Wine Shop.

http://www.ClarkWineCenter.com

Getting to this wine shop in Pampanga Angeles City Clark Freeport Zone Philippines from Manila
Getting to the Clark Wine Center wine shop from Manila is quite simple: after entering Clark Freeport from Dau and Angeles City, proceed straight along the main highway M A Roxas. Clark Wine Center is the stand-along white building on the right, at the corner A Bonifacio Ave. From the Clark International Airport DMIA, ask the taxi to drive towards the entrance of Clark going to Angeles City. From Mimosa, just proceed towards the exit of Clark and this wine shop is on the opposite side of the main road M A Roxas.

For inquires and reservations, contact us here

Clark Wine Center
Bldg 6460 Clark Observatory Building
Manuel A. Roxas Highway corner A Bonifacio Ave,
Angeles Clark Freeport Zone, Pampanga 2023
0922-870-5173 0917-826-8790 (ask for Ana Fe)

Wine@Yats-International.com

YATS Wine Cellars
Manila Sales Office
3003C East Tower, Phil Stock Exchange Center,
Exchange Rd Ortigas Metro Manila, Philippines 1605
(632) 637-5019 0917-520-4393 ask for Rea or Chay

Best place to buy wine in Clark Pampanga outside Manila near Subic and Angeles City Philippines is Clark Wine Center.