Why Would You Add Antifreeze to Wine?

TL;DR

Austrian winemakers added a highly toxic poison, diethylene glycol, to their wines for at least seven years, resulting in a scandal that tarnished the reputation of Austrian wine.

Transcript

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Key Insights

• 👅 Austrian winemakers added diethylene glycol to their wines to improve the taste and quality, but it was highly toxic and illegal.
• 🍷 The scandal tarnished the reputation of Austrian wine, leading to a significant drop in exports and wine tourism.
• 🍷 The Austrian government enacted strict regulations and publicized them to rebuild trust in Austrian wine.

Questions & Answers

Q: Why did Austrian winemakers add diethylene glycol to their wines?

The winemakers wanted to improve the taste of their wines, which were becoming thin and sour due to an overabundance of grapes. Adding diethylene glycol made the wines sweeter and higher quality.

Q: How did the Austrian wine scandal come to light?

Routine testing in a West German laboratory in 1985 discovered diethylene glycol in a bottle of Austrian wine bought from a supermarket. Further tests revealed that many bottles from different suppliers were contaminated, leading to the exposure of the scandal.

Q: Did anyone die or suffer health issues from drinking the poisoned Austrian wine?

Officially, no deaths or health complications were reported due to the poisoned wine. However, given the presence of lethal amounts of diethylene glycol in some bottles, it is uncertain whether all health issues were attributed to the wine or if the connection was missed.

Q: How did the Austrian government handle the scandal?

The Austrian government introduced strict legislation related to winemaking and implemented rigorous regulations. They publicized these changes internationally to restore confidence in the quality of Austrian wine.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Austrian winemakers flooded the market in the 1970s with cheap yet good quality sweet white wines, which became popular in Germany and other countries.

• Bad weather conditions in the late 1970s and 1980s led to an overabundance of grapes, resulting in thin and sour wines that didn't meet quality standards.

• Desperate to improve the taste, some winemakers started adding diethylene glycol, a highly toxic poison, to make the wines sweeter and higher quality.