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Ever heard of Robert Parker? Well, he’s said to be the world’s most influential expert when it comes to wine. In other words, he’s a wine critic. He is most famous for his 100-point rating system. Basically, it “ranks wine on a scale from 50 to 100 points based upon the wine’s color and appearance, aroma and bouquet, flavor and finish, and overall quality level or potential”. So, according his rating method, wines that have 50-59 points are considered as “unacceptable”. So, probably many of you know what it feels like when a specific bottle of wine ruins your night out. That’s why we’re giving you 7 ways to identify fake wines both at home and outside. Keep reading! Outside

1. It’s said that the amount of sugar should be as follows:

• dry wines – up to 4g;
• semi-dry wines – up to 18g;
• semi-sweet wines – up to 45g;
• sweet wines – at least 45g;

If you notice any diversions from these quantities and there’s no sign of further treatment on the label, your wine is probably in the ‘fake’ category.

2. Don’t be afraid from the ingredient Sulfur dioxide (SO2, or usually labeled as E220)! This chemical element can be present in any wine sort because SO2 is actually a natural side product of the fermentation. On the other hand, beware of salicylic acid as it can be a sign of a wine with bad quality.
3. The date of production should be stamped aside from any other information on the label. What’s more, the text must be readable, with no mistakes or wrong labeling.

At home

4. If you add a pinch of soda to a high-quality wine, it will most likely change its color. That happens due to a chemical reaction with the grape starch. If the wine is synthetic, it will remain the same
5. What you can also do at home is to shake the bottle. If the wine is good, the foam will go to the center and then it will quickly disappear. However, if you see that the foam goes to the edges and stays there for long, you probably got the wrong wine.
6. Do you have glycerin at home? You can add a few drops to your bottle of wine for a quick test. If they sink to the bottom and the color doesn’t change, then you have a good wine.
7. Another thing you can try is to add a single drop of wine over a piece of chalk. If the stain turns light after it dries, that’s probably a sign of high-quality wine. If the stain doesn’t change its color, though, this means that the wine contains colorants.

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