Consumers should have confidence that the wine they purchase is genuine. There is a need for measures and solutions to be put in place to prevent those trying to substitute high-value wine in the global market.

  • Counterfeit wine is a significant global issue that results in around $70 billion in annual losses for the global wine industry.
  • Counterfeit wine affects up to 20% of the global $350 billion wine industry.

The wine industry in Australia alone is valued at $6.36b, which generates close to $3b in export sales per year.

With export sales forecast to exceed $3.6b in the next three years, there is a critical need for an independent program to verify the authenticity of Australian wine and secure the industry’s future growth.

Protecting the brand reputation of Australian winemakers and the value of our wine industry requires increased integrity systems that can efficiently verify the provenance and, thus, the authenticity of Australian wine.

Key issues facing wine supply chains

Mislabelling of origin
This can occur when wine from a different region or country is falsely presented as originating from a prestigious wine-producing area to command higher prices.

Dilution
Dilution occurs when wine is mixed with water or other liquids to increase the overall volume. This practice reduces the wine’s quality and can be difficult for consumers to detect.

Fake appellations
Fraudulent wines might claim to carry a prestigious appellation, indicating specific geographical origin and quality standards.

Sugar additions
Adding sugar to unfermented grapes to increase the alcohol content can stretch wine production, mainly when used with water addition.

Origin verification for the wine industry

Source Certain works with individual wine producers, industry bodies and regional industry collectives to protect their wine’s brand value and integrity. Our team of scientists have extensive experience dealing with wine fraud and has been involved with several counterfeit wine cases.

Explore our Provenance Verification Program