Detecting the addition of sugar and water to wine

Background and Aims: Wine fraud has been practised since ancient times, continuing up to the present day and taking many forms. In this study, detection of the addition of unpermitted sugar and water to wines was evaluated using a univariate method, officially adopted, and several more effective multivariate methods. Methods and Results: The results are based on 5220 Italian wine samples belonging to the European Union (EU) Wine Databank collected in the period 2000–2010. This databank contains stable isotope ratios for wine samples from many regions over many years. The addition of variable amounts of sugar and water was simulated according to experimental results, and univariate and multivariate methods were compared. It was shown that this type of fraud can be discovered much more easily by the application of multivariate methods. Conclusions: It can be difficult to detect the addition of unpermitted sugar and water to wines. With multivariate tests based on the EU Wine Databank, the likelihood of detecting this kind of fraud is significantly increased. Significance of the Study: This research evaluates and proposes a more efficient method for statistical interpretation of the EU Wine Databank for evaluation of wine authenticity