A warning to France Wine drinkers and Collectors

[Richard C]

It seems that France has had a major corrutption problem in the wine buisness this year. The Guardian is reporting ""Tens, possibly hundreds of thousands of bottles of some of the country's top wines could be affected by the scam, which police said involved grands crus being "cut" with low-grade plonk and inferior wines being labelled as high-quality. ""

""It is a very serious matter indeed," the spokesman said. "Some very classy wines that can change hands even when young for over £100 a bottle have been cut with up to 30% of rubbish from the Midi or Languedoc, and generic Burgundy table wine has been sold as premier cru."

The men arrested, who include several leading Burgundy wholesalers and wine merchants as well as the managing director of the region's main bottling company, have been placed under formal examination for fraud and forgery. Police say they suspect more may be involved and other arrests may follow.

""Fraud is by no means new in the French wine business. Two years ago it emerged that 177,000 bottles of 1995 Château Giscours, a Margaux noted for years as one of Bordeaux's top Médoc wines, had been doctored with sugar, water, acids and even milk as part of an attempt to ruin its new owner, a Dutchman. ""
Go here for the entire story.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,3604,416344,00.html