Authenticity and traceability in the wine industry: From analytical chemistry to consumer perceptions

Abstract

Wine has been a part of human history for millennia and is an economically important global industry. Wine is considered as a luxury product, which makes it highly susceptible to fraud and adulteration. Authentication methods and traceability systems designed to protect wine provenance and quality have therefore gained the interest of both researchers and the wine industry. Analytical approaches in combination with chemometrics can authenticate wine by identifying and modeling specific chemical markers or spectral fingerprints. Traceability systems can track and record movements in the supply chain, and by using various devices (e.g., tags, seals, smart phones), can even transmit information to the consumer to provide confidence in the authenticity of a wine. Beyond systems that help in the detection and delivery of an authentic product, the wine industry can also use marketing tools to convey an authentic image and target consumers in an engaging way. This requires an understanding of authenticity from the consumer perspective.