Of the 1, 329 homeowners within that sample, 48% admitted that they would consider walking away from their properties if their mortgages were worth more than the value of the property.

FORBES: Foreclosure: A Sound Financial Option For U.S. Homeowners?

"In the past we could spend an hour searching the entire freezer for a single tube, and now we can find a sample within just a few minutes, " he says.

FORBES: The DNA Bar Code

Current techniques involve drilling sample holes at numerous locations within a vineyard.

ECONOMIST: Winemaking and radar