Bordeaux vine fraud : a counterfeit wine scam uncovered
In the summer of 2022, while attempting to dismantle a criminal organisation involved in drug trafficking, French police uncovered a major counterfeiting network and confiscated a significant number of counterfeit bottles of Médoc wines. 20 members, accused of participating in these criminal acts, were arrested in several regions of France.
The organization based its scam on the resale of poor quality wine from Spain falsely labelled Médoc, a higher quality appellation and therefore more expensive.
According to the Bordeaux prosecutor's office, large orders were placed by foreign customers and supermarkets.
This news increases the number of counterfeiters specifically targeting Bordeaux wine as the source of their scam. Many similar cases have occurred in China, which buys and consumes 23% of the total production of Bordeaux wines. Numerous lawsuits have been filed by the Conseil Interprofessionnel du Vin de Bordeaux (CIVB).
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