One of Australia's largest wine makers, BRL Hardy, is blending DNA from a 125-year-old grapevine into wine labels in an effort to deter theft and counterfeiting, the company said on June 21. Starting August 1, the label will be used when the company releases its 1998 vintage of its flagship Eileen Hardy shiraz. The system is based on a DNA identification process used on tickets for the Sydney Olympics, and the DNA can only be seen under special scanning lights. Jim Humphrys, international marketing manager at BRL Hardy said a spate of thefts and counterfeits in the wine industry had prompted the company to explore DNA identification. He claims the DNA identification is taken from vine cuttings from winegrower Thomas Hardy's original vineyard at McLaren Vale, in South Australia state. The technology was likely to be used only on premium wines, he said. Source: Associated Press
