The Italian wine industry hit rock bottom a generation ago, when thousands of bottles of Italian wine were found to have been laced with deadly levels of methanol, a key ingredient in antifreeze that had been used to raise the alcohol content of the wine. The 1986 scandal left nine Italians dead and three dozen or more were hospitalised. Stores across Europe and in the US pulled Italian wine from its shelves. Export levels fell dramatically. Pundits at the time speculated that the industry might never recover.