A chemical analysis of Malbec wines from Argentina has shown that the “terroir” of a vineyard can be detected in different vintages. Such analyses could help reduce the massive problem of wine fraud , in which wines are sold as something else or adulterated with cheaper products.

There has long been an idea that terroir – the combination of local geography, geology, climate and wine-making practices – gives a unique flavour to a wine from a particular place. This is why Chateau Lafite or Chateau Margaux claim that no one else can make …