BACKGROUND: A scientist at the University of California, Davis, has developed a device that can determine whether a bottle of wine has gone bad or not without opening the bottle. Ultimately the technology could save restaurants and wine sellers a great deal of money that is currently lost to spoilage.
HOW IT WORKS: MRI technology can detect bad wine by analyzing the chemical compounds found in the beverage. A bottle is placed inside a six-foot cylinder and bombarded with radio waves. The compounds found in bad wine, such as vinegar, absorb radio waves at different rates than wine that is still good, and thus doesn't contain those compounds. The device is more sensitive than a human palate, and can detect changes as small as a tenth of the industry's benchmark for bad compounds. It can even tell if a bottle of wine is about to turn, so that consumers can drink it before it's too late.
WHY WINE GOES BAD: If wine is stored improperly, it can turn into vinegar. Direct sunlight, heat, or a loose cork are among the most common mishaps that can spoil a bottle of wine. For instance, when oxygen seeps in through a loose cork, it causes the bacteria or yeast to convert the wine into vinegar. Wines are common considered spoiled if they contain at least 1.4 grams per liter of vinegar.
ABOUT WINE-MAKING: Making wine a very simple process, since wine is little more than fermented grape juice. It involves using yeast to convert the sugar in fruit -- usually some variety of grape -- into carbon dioxide and alcohol. The CO2 evaporates into the air, leaving behind wine. Still, winemakers must work hard to provide perfect conditions for nature to take its course. Despite their best efforts, each year there are large amounts of waste and surplus wine produced that don't meet industry standards for quality and flavor, and thus never make it into a bottle.