As a result of atmospheric atomic explosions carried out in the 1950's to 1963 a potential method for the short term dating of wines has emerged based on the determination of ~(14)C in wine components. The atmospheric nuclear explosions released relatively large quantities of ~(14)C into the atmosphere which was incorporated into carbon dioxide. The immediate post test ~(14)CO_2 concentration in the atmosphere initially decreased due to its uptake in marine and terrestrial carbon reservoirs. More recently, the dilution of ~(14)CO_2 in the atmosphere has been driven by the burning of fossil fuels which are depleted in ~(14)C (because of radioactive decay).The uptake and sequestering of atmospheric CO_2 by plants means that by accurately measuring the amount of residual ~(14)C in plant derived-products, the year when that sequestration took place can be determined. The amount of ~(14)C in grape-derived components in the wine, such as alcohol, has been used to reliably determine red wine vintage. Measurement of the residual levels of ~(14)C in additional components in the wine, such as the phenolic compounds, makes the method more robust and less easily circumvented by illicit additions.
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