While such devices are still in their formative stages, researchers believe they will invent wine-tasting machines more objective than human wine tasters. The e-tongue contains a series of tiny synthetic membranes and is built onto a chip made of silicon. Each part of the system has it's own sensitivity level by being able to tell one grape from another. The device is capable of telling apart two samples of the same wine of different vintages as well as Chardonnay, Airen, Malvasia and Macabeu wines. The year of 2005 and 2004.. Changing the range of chemical components in the e-tongue should enable it to be able to recognize fraudulent wine practices.

Just like the human tongue this device can distinguish the five major tastes: sweet, salty, bitter, acidic and umami tasty. Nine samples from 2005 vintage and six samples from 2004 were used by scientists to test the device. The RSCJ reported that significant testing was done on the product over a span of recent months. You can easily use the device as well as take it with you when you go to test wine samples on site. The device would be quick and inexpensive and simple to use.

Electronic tasters and smellers are being developed for the wine tasting industry, they will be able to detect different molecules and be more objective. The wine industry is making good use of the technology, but it is also a help in detecting explosives and helping with security.

Since name brand wines can command big bucks on the open market, wine counterfeiting has become extremely lucrative. It is easy to make a fake label that is not easy to notice. The fine-wine industry is handling these counterfeit wines by using special ways including inks, bottles, holograms and bar codes to protect defrauding themselves and the customers.

The Australian wine company, hardy, uses genetic vine material in neck seals to keep track of its more precious bottlings while the temperature-tracking tags are a recent innovation. The e-tongue's ability to sift grape types by location does not guarantee its ability to hardwire the more minute details of Chateau Lafite or Mouton-Rothschild. And would you really want to spend a lot on an exquisite wine to have it consumed by a robot?