The Over-Heated Wine Market
European wine prices have jumped approximately 25 percent in 2008. The prices for Champagne and Burgundy have never been higher. Given the astonishing prices of premium wine these days, you would think it would be babied like the first-born you traded to buy it. However, fine wine is often shipped in worse conditions than ice cream or lettuce, sometimes sitting in the blazing sun for hours. The damage done to a wine’s taste, smell and color by extreme heat is something that can go unnoticed until opened, despite having paid perhaps $800 to 1600 for it. Eric Vogt, Harvard professor, wine lover and high-tech start-up entrepreneur hopes to remedy the situation. Vogt’s eProvenance system includes a tamper-proof seal, a hidden code and an electronic tag for each wine bottle, but it’s the temperature tracking element that’s getting the most interest.
Click here for more information about the damage caused by heat and wine oxidation (maderization).
