DNA isn't just for fingerprinting people anymore. An Australian vintner has recently started using grape DNA in the labels of its most expensive wine. The move is a response to a rise in the number of wine swindlers switching the contents of some bottles, leaving investors duped until it comes time to uncork the wine. The technology began as a way to validate tickets for the Sydney Olympics, and might also be useful in validating a wide range of items.

| REPORTS |

Hear Rebecca Roberts' report
(7/3/2001)
Hear it

More details
Learn more about the wine DNA fingerprinting process from the BBC.

Interact with your wine
Why are some wines dry and others sweet? What are tannins and what difference do they make? Learn all about it with our online wine activities , and listen to our wine webcast .

It's in the nose
One of the qualities used to describe the quality of a wine is its "nose" -- how it smells when it's swirled and when you're drinking it. Try this experiment , and show yourself why the nose matters more than the tongue.

Why DNA?
BRL Hardy Wines' press release explaing why the company began putting DNA on its wine labels.