Counterfeiting in the wine industry is a significant problem, costing European businesses around €1.3 billion annually. In 2018 alone, French authorities discovered 66 million bottles of fake Côtes du Rhône wine. This issue is particularly concerning for major wine producers, including Plantaže, the largest vineyard in Montenegro.
Their wines have been counterfeited in multiple countries, including Albania, Kosovo, Russia, and Serbia. To address this, researchers and wine producers from several countries have collaborated on TRACEWINDU, a project that integrates chemistry and IT solutions to ensure the traceability and authenticity of wine.
Innovative Chemistry and Blockchain Technology for Wine Authentication and Traceability
Professor Manuel Valiente, a chemistry professor at the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB), is leading the four-year TRACEWINDU initiative, which runs until 2026. Inspired by his Spanish heritage and experience in food research, Valiente aims to protect the wine industry through advanced analytical techniques.
The project’s approach involves identifying a unique chemical signature for each wine, derived from the soil, air, and environmental conditions in which it is grown. This signature acts as a digital passport, ensuring that the wine’s origin and authenticity can be verified at every stage of production.
Blockchain and Chemistry Fight Wine Counterfeiting With TRACEWINDU’s Advanced Authentication SystemThe TRACEWINDU project utilizes blockchain technology to create an immutable record of a wine’s journey from vineyard to consumer. Dr. Gustavo Perez Gonzalez, a senior project manager at UAB, highlights the reliability of blockchain in safeguarding data.
Each wine bottle is assigned a QR code that, when scanned, provides consumers with detailed information about its production, fermentation, bottling, and distribution. Like human fingerprints, each QR code is unique and nearly impossible to forge, making it a robust solution against counterfeiting.
Enhancing Trust, Transparency, and Growth in the Wine Industry Through Smart Labeling
By ensuring traceability, the TRACEWINDU initiative aims to enhance consumer trust and attract new buyers. Professor Valiente emphasizes the growing consumer demand for transparency regarding product origins and handling processes.
Despite challenges such as climate change and declining sales, the wine industry remains a vital economic sector in Europe, employing 3 million people and contributing €130 billion to the EU’s GDP in 2022. In regions like Montenegro, winemaking is not only an industry but also a cultural tradition that provides significant employment opportunities.
Looking ahead, the TRACEWINDU team envisions expanding smart labeling to wines protected by the EU’s geographical indication quality scheme. This system safeguards the names of wines that originate from specific regions and have distinct qualities tied to their geographical origins.
Valiente believes that partnering with wine cooperatives and global distributors could further increase the impact of the traceability system. This innovation has the potential to enhance sales, particularly in premium markets where authenticity is crucial, securing a promising future for the wine industry.
