FOR those who yearn for a well-aged, full-bodied vintage wine but lack the funds to feed the habit, the solution may lie with a Japanese boffin, a zany-looking contraption, a couple of metres of latex tubing and a few hundred volts of electricity.

Squirrelled away in his chemical engineering laboratory in rural Shizuoka, Hiroshi Tanaka has spent 15 years developing an electrolysis device that simulates, he claims, the effect of ageing in wines. In 15 seconds it can transform the cheapest, youngest plonks into fine old draughts as fruit flavours are enhanced and rough edges are mellowed, he says.

Reds can become more complex, and whites drier. A wine costing £5 a bottle could taste the same as one costing twice that, which “will create huge changes to the global wine industry”.

It may sound far-fetched, but the ultra-competitive wine industry is taking no chances.Wineries in California, South America and other parts of the new and old wine worlds are taking a close interest in Mr Tanaka’s machine, and several are already testing it. The machine works by pumping wine and tap water through a specially designed electrolysis chamber equipped with wafer-thin platinum electrodes. The water and the wine are separated by an ion exchange membrane — the key component, for which Tanaka holds the patent.

Without diluting the wine, the electrolysis causes a rapid rearrangement of the hydrogen and oxygen atoms around the alcohol molecules, which would normally take place over years if the wine were ageing naturally.

Sommeliers at the boutique Engelhardt winery describe its effects as “interesting”. A Chilean producer will arrive in Japan next week with 12 gallons of its finest red for further testing.

As the device approaches commercial readiness in January, the Robert Mondavi winery has asked to be kept updated on the results of trials. Because the electrolyser is capable of converting about four litres of wine a minute, some producers are considering ageing entire barrels before the wine is bottled.

Mr Tanaka and his team at Innovative Design and Technology (IDT) are also designing a version for small-scale use. He said: “There are several ways that this machine could go into service, of which improving the quality of wine at source is only one. We are going to make a version of the machine that can be used in restaurants to instantly improve the taste and bouquet of cheaper table wines according to what the customer has chosen.”

“We also think that individual wine lovers will want to have one at home so they can play about with the tastes and apparent ages of the more expensive wines they own and make them ready to drink sooner."

Although Mr Tanaka may be on the verge of a crucial contribution to the history of wine, he confesses that he does not really like the stuff. He began his work on fruit juices and switched to alcoholic beverages only to soften the after-taste of a particularly rough type of saké he drinks.

He is convinced that the machine could have enhancing effects on cheap whiskies and has already struck a deal with Pokka, the Japanese coffee giant, to work with it on smoothing the taste of some roasts.

Robert Mondavi Private Selection Pinot Noir 2002 (USA)
Cost About £8 a bottle
Before electrolysis Crisp, fruity, lots of berry, silky, alcoholic nose, light body
Marks 2/5
After electrolysis More subtle, more musty, lost its crisp, fresh fruitiness but far easier on the palate, heavier but less exciting
Marks 3/5

Le Haut-Medoc de Giscours Grande Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2001 Haut Medoc (France)
Cost About £9 a bottle
Before electrolysis A bit rough and acidic, muscular tannins and non-distinct bouquet
Marks 1/5
After electrolysis More of a nose, more tobacco and fruit, a riper flavour, smoother finish
Marks 2.5/5

On the Times panel in Tokyo: two trained winetasters and one enthusiastic amateur

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