Flavourings

flavourings are available to wine producers, and are used, illegally, to an unknown extent. Of the three sorts of flavourings available to the beverage industry—natural, nature-identical, and artificial—the last can be discounted because they are easily detectable, and natural and nature-identical flavourings are readily available, no more expensive, and still relatively difficult to detect. Natural and nature-identical flavourings which can impose the characteristics of a range of noble grape varieties such as cabernet sauvignon and sauvignon blanc are marketed. Modern analytical techniques (see analysis) are able to detect additions at very low levels and there have been a number of successful prosecutions. Since these flavourings are so intense, they can be effective at concentrations as low as 0.001% and the addition of, for example, 100 ml/3.6 fl oz of essence to a 100-hl/2,640-gal vat is an operation which could be performed easily and discreetly.