Can Italy overcome the situation where deceptive practices were used in the wine industry? This came about with the 2003 vintage of Brunello di Montalcino. This wine is supposed to be produced from only the Sangiovese grapes. However, several producers added other grape varietals including Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot.

One might think that this is not an important issue as long as the taste is excellent. However, there is a considerable price difference between the Brunello di Montalcino and a Sangiovese wine made with the addition of other grape varieties. So the consumer loses financially and producers of Brunello di Montalcino lose their reputation.

To combat these losses and to assure consumers that the wines are authentic, producers are now using modern technology that will assure consumers they are purchasing an authentic product. To that end, each bottle will have a code letter/ number combination. According to the National Post.com, “Consumers can text that information along with the size of the bottle (usually 750 ml) to a telephone number in Italy +39 366 300 8880.” Consumers will receive information including history, bottles produced and producer information.

I think the motive behind this idea is good, but I am still wondering if it will really work. After all, this does not prove what the makeup of the wine in the bottle is, although it should verify who the producer is.

Will the new system work or not? Is there a better way?

For more information, read the National Post article, “Tuscan red wine lovers can now text for authenticity” by Leslie Gevirtz.

Cheers! Kathy