Teams of inspectors from the Wine and Spirit Board are arriving unannounced at wineries across the Cape, and are drawing samples of grape juice. These will be compared with finished wine to determine if anything has been added. Inconsistencies in the level of certain methoxypyrazines will determine if flavourants are added.
Testing will be carried out across the spectrum of wineries.
"It is essential that we monitor all levels of producers in all regions to send out a message to any potential errant producers that know illegal wine making practices will be tolerated," said Jakob Diest, the Board's management committee chairman.
He said any irregularities discovered would be followed by forensic audits at wineries involved. If wineries are found guilty of using additives producers could be criminally prosecuted under South African law.
The findings will be made available to wine-producing EU member countries to assist their own eradication of the use of flavourants. South African is a strong wine producing nation. In 2002 over half of South African wine exports went to the UK and four South African wines were present in UK retailers' best seller lists.