i am what you think i am — revisited

Photo: Michael Hale

"WINE buffs are like art collectors. Few can tell the difference between a well-made fake and the real thing. Yet whereas counterfeit art has been around for centuries, wine forgery is relatively new. It started in the late 1970s when the prices of the best wines—especially those from Bordeaux—shot up. Today, with demand from China fuelling a remarkable boom, counterfeiting is rife. By some estimates 5% of fine wines sold at auction or on the secondary market are not what they claim to be on the label." — The Economist
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"Inventors say a bottle of any bargain booze can be transformed in just 30 minutes, using space-age ultrasound technology. The £350 gadget - which looks like an ordinary ice bucket - recreates the effects of decades of aging by colliding alcohol molecules inside the bottle." — Daily Mail
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"Brad Goldstein runs a fraud-investigation team on behalf of billionaire wine collector Bill Koch, who was allegedly swindled by Hardy Rodenstock with counterfeit bottles. Although old Bordeaux are the most commonly faked wines, there are more and more fraudulent Burgundies, says Goldstein. Here are five wines he’s found to be most frequently faked:
1947 CHÂTEAU CHEVAL BLANC
'I believe that Serena Sutcliffe, the wine director of Sotheby’s, once said there are more bottles of ’47 Cheval Blanc in the market than were ever produced,' Goldstein remarks of this famous wine from St-Émilion.
1811 CHÂTEAU D’YQUEM
This legendary Sauternes 'wasn’t in the market until the 1970s. In fact, the 1811 was nonexistent until Rodenstock "rediscovered" it,' says Goldstein.
1924 CHÂTEAU MOUTON ROTHSCHILD
'This was the first year that Mouton estate-bottled its wines; any supposedly estate-bottled wines from before this vintage are undeniably fake,' says Goldstein.
1921 CHÂTEAU PÉTRUS
Pétrus (especially in a magnum) is a favorite of fraudsters. Goldstein has seen all kinds of fake Pétrus, including bottles with capsules the wrong color and labels made from artificially aged paper.
1952 DOMAINE DE LA ROMANÉE-CONTI LA TÂCHE
'We’re seeing more and more fake DRCs,' Goldstein says of this great grand cru domaine. 'It’s “the favorite Burgundy property” for counterfeiters,' he says." — Lettie Teague, FOOD & WINE
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"Past research indicates the potential of ultrasound treatment for bringing about the same effect as natural ageing on wine. Ultrasound is known to induce cativation, which creates high localised temperatures and pressures in a liquid medium. Applying cativation from ultrasound radiation to wine can alter the interaction of wine ingredients to obtain chemical and structural changes in the wine that resemble those that occur after many years of natural ageing. Research also indicates that such treatment considerably extends the peak period of wine, thereby improving its shelf life." — Ultrafine Wine
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But it sure would make your pee taste better...