Here is recent convergence of Science and economics. Physicists from the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique determine a dating method for the glass of a wine bottle.(1) An investigator at the meeting of American Association of Wine Economists presents evidence that famous old empty wine bottles are rapidly increasing in market value.(2) While it cannot be determined whether this temporal concordance is causal, it should be noted that testing of the bottle and invasive testing of wine are already being offered by Antique Wine Company.(3)

James J. O’Donnell
M.D. Professor Emeritus, UC San Francisco
E-mail: JOdonn5952@aol.com

References

(1) www2.cnrs.fr Paris, September 1, 2008 Vintage wine bottles authenticated by high energy ion beam. Just like works of art, wine is now being subjected to advanced testing to establish its authenticity: after measuring caesium 137 radioactivity levels to test the age of the wine, the glass in vintage wine bottles is now being tested by particle acceleration. Referred by Barbara O’Donnell.

(2) AAWE Portland, Oregon, August 14–16, 2008, Second Annual Conference of American Association of Wine Economists (AAWE), as described by Professor Orley Ashenfelter, President, AAWE.

(3) www.antiquewine.com

1) Maximum score less minimum score