Rare and collectible wines are easy targets for counterfeiters. Here are both new and proven solutions to protect the high-end wine industry - both vintners and connoisseurs.

Atomic boffins provide a nuclear-age solution for vintage wine authentication.

Working for a London-based rare wine merchant, Dr. Herve Guegan of France's National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) discovered a technique, which consists of firing beams of charged ions generated by a particle accelerator at the glass bottle (not the wine itself). The spectrum of x-rays that result from the bombardment helps scientists calculate how old the bottle is and, to an extent, where it originated from. The reason for the technology’s reliability – the chemical composition of glass used to make bottles changes over time and varies from place to place.

eProvenance’s Intelligent Bottle™assures fine wine authenticity and provenance from chateaux to consumer.

This secure, global system includes: a semi-active RFID sensor placed inside the case to monitor and record temperatures and improve shipping and receiving operations throughout the distribution chain…a passive RFID tag with a unique code attached to the base of the bottle to automate tracking and inventory management, and discourage pilferage…and a proprietary, tamper-proof neck seal with a covert code applied at the base of the capsule to authenticate the wine inside the bottle and thwart counterfeiters. Linked together with their unique identification numbers in a high-speed, encrypted online database, the combined data create an ePedigree for each bottle of fine wine.

IDGLOBAL’s Nano-Molecular Markers™ are applied to pre-selected areas on the bottle or label using a proprietary tagging method that in no way affects the wine inside.

The Nano-Molecular Markers are applied at the molecular level and cannot be detected, removed or altered by the criminal counterfeiters allowing for 100% authentication of the component in real time, in a matter of seconds using proprietary handheld scanning technologies.

John Henry Packaging has teamed up with Hewlett-Packard to develop a technology that puts multi-colored codes or graphics into labels.

These codes can interact with a database of wine information, allowing consumers and distributors to track of the origins of their wine with a phone call. To thwart counterfeiters, colors and character combinations can be regularly changed. The codes can be micro-printed so they’re visible only with magnification or in type that can be easily read.

Shiner International, Inc., provides unique anti-counterfeit packaging films to Maotai Liquor Company, China's largest liquor company.

Its advantages over traditional anti-counterfeit seals and security labels: it is duplicate-proof (unlike its laser holographic competitors). It's also user-friendly (no secret micro codes or calls to call centers required to achieve verification). And it contains a range of BOPP (Biaxially Oriented Polypropylene) qualities, including esthetic-enhancing high polish shrinkable films, excellent water vapor barrier properties that help retain aroma and extend storage life, and the ability to endure oil ink erosion.

Sleever's anti-counterfeit sleeving solutions ensure tamper-free packaging.

Holosleeve® 3D for wine and spirits bottles is designed to protect vulnerable high value brands with a visual anti-forgery signature, combining mono-oriented heat shrink film technology with an exclusive, unforgeable holographic image that is destroyed once the product is opened. It is based on mono-oriented OPS base film which can "remember" its deformation after heat shrinking, creating three-dimensional relief patterns. Achieved through embossing or debossing, the 3D-motif can be combined with up to 6-color gravure printing, very precise positioning and a slew of special effects. Traceable tags can be integrated to combat grey market diversion.

But while these anti-fraud technologies are all welcome solutions, many say that with a premium product where reputation is everything, the best anti-fraud method is still to buy from direct sources and reputable importers.