Streamlined Analysis for Pesticide Residues and Illegal Additives in Wine
The global wine trade has burgeoned in recent decades as producers from numerous countries have entered the wine export business or increased their exports. A scan of the wines available at your own favorite wine shop will likely reveal a myriad of varieties and origins. You probably see long-established wines from Old World countries such as Italy, France, Germany and Spain. Perhaps you have also noticed an increasing number of choices from nontraditional locations such as Oceana, Africa, South America and North America. You may even find offerings from the Middle East, Far East and other regions not typically thought of as “good wine country.” This variety of choices is deliciously appreciated by wine lovers throughout the world!
Vintners in all of these locations share a common challenge—the need to protect the grapes from pest damage. Fungi are particularly troublesome for vineyards, along with harmful insects. Thus, the wine derived from grapes can contain residues of the fungicides and insecticides that have been applied to the fruits during the growing period. As the global wine trade has grown, so has the variety of regulatory limits on pesticide residues in wine.