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Are you sure that the Bottle of Burgundy you just pay $ 500 for is what he says? Questions like this have begun to jump more often in recent years, likea high profile wine fraudster after the other is exposed andThe alarms are raised About the rise of "counterfeit wine". Whether you are a serious collector or splend an expensive bottle for a special occasion, it is wise to look a little closer to this label, cork and this label to make sure you get what you paid.

But what are the warning signs to search?

For the answers, we spoke with Frank Martell, director of rare and rare wines at Heritage Auction - a man who oversees the sale of millions of dollars in High Notch Vino. It does not only use his senses to appreciate the tasting notes and wine bouquet; It uses its encyclopedic knowledge and instincts to determine if a bottle is what it would have been and includes clues that could discover a fake. Here are some tips of sound. And if you aim to become a real wine connoisseur, here are some tips onHow to start a collection of wine from the World's # 1 vine expert.

The first thing to do when you try to sniff a fake, is to reframe your way of thinking about it. Martell and other people authenticating the wines do not generally seek the difference between an authentic wine and a "counterfeit". Instead, they say it's "coherent" or "incompatible" with what it should be.

"There is no way to know 100%," says Martell. "If you do business with the right people and the retailer or auction house takes care of their business, your risk is not great. If you shop for a good wine that is not extremely rare, you are not likely to be jilted as long as you buy good people. "

Remember: it is not a question of finding a smoking gun, but on the use of your instincts and what you know of a wine, a seller or another aspect.

Martell points out that the counterfeit wine is not a new problem. Although recent news emissions and stories have made aware of the question - and, in some cases, sensationalized - the practice has existed for decades, if not millennia.

"There are stories in the Bible on people serving wine presented as something it was not," he says.

With this, the last two decades have seen significant changes in the sale of fraudulent wine. Previously, most false were bottles of authentic where wine had been consumed and someone has found a way to replace cork and put an old capsule on the bottle. The inconsistencies were much easier to spot in these cases because it is difficult to make ancient glass or label or make an old cork.

"If the wine is supposed to be from the 1940s and has a dark red color and there is no sediment, it is not suitable for its age," said Martell. "If the wine is really young but that the wine is really light and there is a ton of sediments, it is also inappropriate."

Similarly, the glass perfectly machined on a bottle of the 1940s is a red flag, like those who were blown by hand during that time. Wine lovers, you should also be sure to consult our list ofThe best wine countries in the world.

Unfortunately, there is money to counterfeit young wines.

"In the old days, a case of lafite was $ 1,500 on the liberation and it was not worth someone. Nowadays, a case of lafite in a new vintage is $ 7,000. or more, so there is a lot more initiative. "

Young counterfeit wines are more difficult to spot: a brand new label, cork and capsule are not suspicious in a new bottle. Instead of looking at these physical details, a buyer is better served to apply their viticultural detective skills to other questions: the quantity being sold, where they were bought, how long they were detained and where they were kept .

Martell gives the example of a man who contacted him several years ago about the sale of $ 500,000 from 2005 2005 Domaine de la Romanes Conti (DRC) - the most elite vineyard in the world.

"This is the most expensive liquid on earth, the complete stop," says Martell, with good vintages selling $ 20,000 or more per bottle. And 2005 was a very good vintage.

The seller sent the list and he "looked correct," with bottles grouped into packets of three and six (the vineyard seldom sells 12 bottles packs). But red flags started to appear when Martell examined the "assortment" throughout the seller. The DRC releases an assortment every year with a very specific list of bottles, sold as a package in a wooden box with a very specific vineyard collection. The seller's assortment was not compatible with what Martell knew how to be the wines of this year's platoon.

"I told him," It does not look like the assortment that the PCALds of the DRC each year "and he said," I do not know what you mean, "says Martell." You sit down yourself. And let's say, "It is possible to spend half a million dollars [and not know about the assortment of the DRC], but if you spend this kind of money, it is unlikely that you were going to do that kind error. ""

Martell told him that he could not do business with him, missing the opportunity to make a motor commission. Another prime commissioner picked up the company and several months later, identical series numbers on these bottles found themselves in the catalog.

This example shows that, especially for younger wines, the best defense against being fraud is to educate you on wine, the cellar and especially the seller.

"Google is your friend," says Martell. "Everyone knows everyone [in the wine industry] and you have to address this case with a good amount of skepticism."

Consumers can educate themselves with a mine of information on online discussion boards, books and publications on wine and consult experts such as Martell. You will not buy a new car without consultationConsumer reportsAnd should also do your due diligence before spending an amount similar to expanding your wine collection.

This type of search can help you evaluate whether something is missing from a label or a bottle. To continue with the example, the historical windows of the castle illustration on the wine label have been opened. In 2005, the windows were closed.

"Looking for which vintages are supposed to have a link between" Lafite "and" Rothschild "," says Martell. But "really, it's about knowing the history of wine and the history of the company. "It can help if you have gleaned a certain expertise of the wine of an adhesion to one of theThe best wine clubs in the world.

One of the peak areas of wine assessment is the medico-legal tools, which makes it possible to determine new ways of determining the true nature of the liquid. A popular counterfeit trick consists of using artificially aged paper-available paper in any craft store on which to print the labels. If a bottle is presumed in this one would take place from the 1940s, a buyer can shine a black light on it. If it shines, it means that it has been treated with bleach, something artificial paper manufacturer, but that was not made for labels in the 1940s.

A number of other tools are developed that will make it easier to spot false. MARTELL Puts a sound partner in Canada that develops an ultrasound machine that can scan a bottle through the glass and determine if it is authentic.

But while the science of counterfeit wine assessment continues to evolve as cases of increased wine fraud, some collectors seem to believe that when it comes to their wine collection price, ignorance is happiness.

"There are many people who do not want to think they have a problem," says Martell. "If your collection is worth $ 30 million and that you might know that $ 2 million is wrong, you may not want to know."

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