French appeal court upholds sentences in Red Bicyclette Fake Pinot scam

Some rotten Pinot Noir from the 2011 vintage

French appeal court upholds sentences in Red Bicyclette Fake Pinot

Yesterday the French Appeal Court in Montpellier upheld the sentences handed down by a court in Carcassonne in February 2010 in the fake Pinot Noir scam.

However, the Appeal Court made considerable changes to their sentences.

The scam’s ringleader Claude Courset of the négociant company Ducasse based in Carcassonne, had his suspended prison sentence increased from six to nine months. However, his fine was cut by a third from 45,000€ to 30,000€.

Alain Maurel, Vignobles Alain Maurel and regional president of the Crédit Agricole bank, had his suspended sentence increased from three to four months but his fine was reduced by half from 30,000€ to 15,000€. Good news for a banker that the fine is reduced but does little for M.Maurel's reputation nor that of bankers.

The Sieur d’Arques co-operative, who made 1.3m€ from the scam, had its fine reduced from 180,000€ to 150,000€. Sadly Sieur d'Arques used to have a fine reputation – a pity that those involved in this scam have besmirched this.

Others were not so lucky Montblanc, the commercial arm of the Vignerons de Montblanc, had its fine doubled from 40,000€ to 80,000€. Bad news indeed for Montblanc, who have seen their export turnover drop from 3,394,000€ in the year to August 2007 to 824.000€ in 2008. By the year August 2010 this had collapsed to 317,700€.

Two directors of Caves Pierre Fabre had their fines increased: Jean-Paul Barral from 6000€ to 10,000€ and Didier Beltran from 5500€ to 8000€ with 3000€ of this total suspended.

The scam ran from January 2006 to March 2008. Some 18.5 million bottles of fake Pinot Noir were sold to E&J Gallo and Constellation Wine netting a profit of 7million€ for the fraudsters. A mix of grape varieties, mainly Merlot and Syrah, were passed off as Pinot Noir.

The appeal was held in early June in Montpellier. The decision should have been published on 21st September but a shortage of staff delayed the reporting process.


(Apologies that this post is a bit late. However, last night I was at Le Grand Bornand, where Orange/France Telecom appears to operate a selective system for internet connections – if you are a client of Orange it works fine but, if you are not, then it works poorly at best.) 

Red bicyclette – fake Pinot Noir appeal judgment delayed

Real Pinot Noir in Sancerre late August 2011

For those of you waiting impatiently for the appeal court judgment, which was due today, on those convicted in the fake Pinot Noir scandal the announcement of the judgment has been delayed due to a lack of staff. The judgment will now be announced on 12th October.

See details here.

There are a number of posts on Jim's Loire about the Fake Pinot case – here, here and here.


Shortage of staff

This seems to be a frequent complaint in France at the moment. La Nouvelle République recently ran a story on the difficulty of recruiting locals to pick grapes. As a result producers are increasingly hiring workers from Eastern Europe and in this particular instance from Bulgaria.

It is the same in the restaurant trade, perhaps particularly in rural areas. Marc Hammani (chef/proprietor at Auberge de Montpoupon) and Xavier Fortin (sommelier at La Promenade, Le Petit Pressigny) have both complained about the difficulty of recruiting waiting and kitchen staff holding back their businesses.

Fake Pinot appeal@Montpellier :the second and last day

'Montpellier Faux pinots : haro sur les Américains

Compte rendu d’audience PATRICK NAPPEZ (Midi Libre)

09/06/2011, 06 h 00

Vous allez sanctionner des gens qui ont cédé à une tentation, alors que les Américains sont cent fois plus forts que nous..." Au deuxième et dernier jour du procès en appel des faux pinots (voir Midi Libre d’hier), Me Andréa Lindner, du barreau de Bordeaux, a joint le geste à la parole. L’avocate de Sieur d’Arques a présenté à la cour une bouteille de pinot étiquetée “vin de pays de l’Île de Beauté” sur laquelle figure la mention “mis par Sica Sieur d’Arques”. Or, selon l’avocate, l’entreprise limouxine n’a jamais négocié des pinots de Corse. "On ne peut pas laisser faire ça ; nous allons poursuivre Gallo..."'

 Lire la suite ici.

Judgment will be given on 21st September.

Fake Pinot appeal@Montpellier: the first day

Sorting real Pinot Noir in Sancerre

'Montpellier: Les faux pinots ou le prix d’une "connerie"

Compte rendu d’audience Patrick Nappez (Midi Libre)

08/06/2011, 06 h 00

Vous donnez une image déplorable de la filière viticole alors que cette région a un étendard à porter haut et fort. C’est pas sérieux tout ça ! Quand on fait une connerie, on le reconnaît. Mais cela me rappelle les affaires de corruption et de conflit d’intérêt : je te couvre, tu me couvres..." Longtemps silencieux, au premier jour du procès en appel de l’affaire des “faux pinots”, l’avocat général Pierre Denier est entré dans les débats comme un trouble-fête dans une soirée de potaches.'

Lire la suite ici.

During the first day of their appeal against their sentences handed down in 2010 over the Pinot Noir fraud, the defendants appear to be advancing similar arguments as before. Namely that Pinot (Noir) is a brand not a grape variety – might surprise a few Burgundians! That Gallo knew what was going on and that the wine was of good quality anyway and that they were supplying what the market wanted.

This appeal is all too likely to further damage the reputation of the wines of the south of France in the United States. Before the appeal started Jacques Gravegeal, long-time president of the Syndicat of Producers of Vin de Pays d'Oc, said that the fake Pinot scandal had caused a drop in sales in the US of between 50,000 and 70,000 hectolitres.

Sieur d'Arques: appeal on fraudulent Pinot Noir today

Montpellier La fraude aux faux pinots revient en appel

Patrick Nappez  (Midi Libre)

07/06/2011, 06 h 00

'Ce n’est pas la fraude la plus volumineuse ni la plus choquante de l’histoire viticole, mais l’affaire des faux pinots pourrait s’avérer très lourde de conséquences pour l’économie du vin. Aujourd’hui, devant la Cour d’appel de Montpellier, il s’agira de confirmer, d’amender ou d’annuler les dix condamnations prononcées le 17 février 2010 par le tribunal de Carcassonne pour "tromperie sur la nature, la qualité substantielle, l’origine ou la quantité d’une marchandise".

Par ricochet, la réputation des vins du Languedoc-Roussillon est en jeu sur le marché américain, considéré jusqu’ici comme l’un des plus prometteurs pour les produits régionaux. Car, sur le banc des prévenus, figure la prestigieuse Sica Sieur d’Arques de Limoux, leader des vins de Pays d’Oc aux USA, à travers un partenariat avec le géant californien E. & J. Gallo, la plus grande entreprise viticole familiale du monde.'

Lire la suite ici

Limoux: the Faux Pinot affair continues to make waves

 Although it appeared a few days ago now La Dépêche reported (6th March) on legal developments in the United States with a class action against E&J Gallo, Sieur d'Arques and Ducasse. 

'Faux-Pinot: les avocats américains demandent l'équivalent en dollars de 500 000 bouteilles
Faux pinot. Les avocats du cabinet Kingsley and Kingsley ont évalué le scandale du «Pinot-gate».

Il faut lire la presse américaine pour prendre la mesure du scandale en Amérique du Nord.

Fake Pinot: Sieur d'Arques – could you make it up?

Truly murky!

'permet à Sieur d’Arques d’assurer la traçabilité du grain de raisin – Merlot –> à la bouteille –> Pinot Noir'

Anyone visiting the Aimery Sieur d'Arques website can see the proud commitments made there – 'nos engagements':

'Assurer la Qualité Totale de son activité


Sieur d’Arques a depuis toujours cultivé le souci de la qualité. Dés 1997 la cave a été impliquée dans une démarche de certification et de sécurité alimentaire. En effet à partir de cette date Sieur d’Arques a commencé la mise en place de l’HACCP sur ses lignes de production, et a été certifiée ISO 9002 en 1999. Suite à l’évolution du référentiel, Sieur d’Arques a fait progresser son système qualité et répond désormais au travers de ses certifications à la norme ISO 9001 :2000 (depuis 1999 – renouvelé en 2008), la norme ISO 22000 :2005 (depuis 2006 – renouvelé en 2008) et le référentiel IFS version 5 niveau supérieur (depuis 2004 – renouvelé en 2008).

Une évaluation constante de ses vins


Dégustation des vins avant leur libération par des œnologues aguerris, dégustations comparatives réalisées par des structures compétentes de la filière, dégustations lors de salons nationaux et internationaux,… Sieur d’Arques dispose ici d’un processus efficace de dégustation de ses vins. Ce processus incontournable évalue la qualité globale des vins pour anticiper la satisfaction du consommateur.

La garantie d’une traçabilité maîtrisée


L’ensemble des enregistrements tout au long du process de fabrication des vins tranquilles et effervescents permet à Sieur d’Arques d’assurer la traçabilité du grain de raisin à la bouteille. Ce système de traçabilité est complémenté d’un dispositif éprouvé de gestion de crise qui permet de répondre avec une grande réactivité tout au long de la chaîne de fabrication et de distribution.

In the light of the Pinot scandal these ringing declarations are more than a little hollow – sadly or hilariously so depending on your point of view. Bearing in mind the volume of fake Pinot Noir that was sold through Sieur d'Arques to the Americans it is impossible now to read this paragraph with a straight face:

'Ensuring traceability control


The tracking process throughout the production of still and sparkling wines allows Sieur d’Arques to ensure traceability from the grape to the bottle. This traceability system is completed with a proven crisis management system which makes it easier to be pro-active throughout the entire production and distribution chains.'




*

I am aware that there is technically a difference between the company that owns the website – Aimery Sieur d'Arques – and the company – Les Caves du Sieur d'Arques SARL SICA Cooperative – that sold the 'Pinot Noir', was condemned and fined by the court in Carcassonne. There is third Sieur d'Arques company – Les Vignerons du Sieur d'Arques Société Coopérative Agricole – which makes sparkling wine. However, their Aimery website generally uses Sieur d'Arques without qualification, Pierre Mirc is in charge of all three (his title varies) and Alain Gayda is the chief editor (redacteur en chef) of the Aimery website. Thus the distinction is surely technical. 

As well as assuring the 'traceability' of Merlot and Syrah into Pinot Noir, one can well imagine the renowned 'proven crisis management system' swinging into action when the news came through that the fraud squad had busted Claude Courset at Ducasse. A scene rich in comic potential:

"Holy shit!" "That stupid motherf*ck**!" What the f**k are we going to do?" "I'm an oenologist – I know nothing." " "We know nuffink!" "It wasn't us – it was 'im, officer!". "When the police ask –  just act stoopid!"

Fake Pinot Noir: Alain Gayda - ex-president de l’Union des Œnologues de France

A sworn oath

Poor Alain Gayda (managing director of Sieur d'Arques)! So much unfair criticism! How could you possibly expect the ex-President (1998-2004) of the Union des Œnologues de France to know the difference between Pinot Noir and Merlot or Syrah or, indeed, Trebbiano?

Pinot Noir and Trebbiano: almost identical...

Here are the 11 commandments of l’Union des Œnologues de France. As formal French can be rather flowery and opaque I have provided a translation in plain English.

Les onze commandments de l’Œnologue

Selon le code de déontologie de l’Union des Œnologues de France

(The 11 commandments of the French Union of Œnologues)

01 De consacrer mes compétences à la recherche d’une qualité du vin et de ses produits dérivés en respectant leurs authenticités, leurs qualitiés organoleptiqués et nutritionnelles.

To buy Merlot, Syrah and any other varieties you can get hold of as cheaply as possible and pass off as Pinot Noir to American clients.

02 De m’abstenir de tout acte ou propos de nature à déconsidérer la profession et de n’exercer aucune activité incompatible avec la dignité professionnelle.

Always wear a tie in the office.

03 De m’attacher à résourdre les problémes relevant de ma competence dans le respect de la légalité.

Resolve never to read regulations and remain in complete ignorance of the region’s viticulture.

04 D’agir en toute honnêté envers mon employeur et mes clients.

Assure American clients with a straight face that this is Pinot Noir.

05 De faire connaître et respecter les obligations et prérogatives de ma function.

Make sure you don’t get caught defrauding Americans and other foreign clients.

06 De ne pas délivrer de bulletins d’analyses ou de toute autre attestation de complaisance.

Apply the highest standards when faking documents.

07 De respecter le secret professionel

It wasn't me – I wasn't there!

08 De respecter et d’appliquer correctement les réglements.

Rules? What rules?

09 De collaborer et d’agir avec loyauté avec mes confères.

Support Pierre Murk and make the oenologist, who handed the email to the police, redundant.

10 De faire prevue de la plus stricte objectivité et de m’abstenir de dénigrements.

Who are these bastards calling for my resignation?

11 D’eclairer de mes conseils et de mon experience les generations d’ Œnologues a venir.

To teach students not to ask awkward questions and, when the shit hits the fan, to declare “I know nothing”.

*

I find the commandments are best appreciated while watching the famous contract scene from the Marx Brothers – A Night at the Opera. Also copy of the script here.

**

Recent developments in scandal

• Gallo, Sieur d'Arques and Ducasse sued in US.

• US authorities may take action against US importers of fake Pinot Noir.

**

21st 'Torts et Cachées (sorry Toques et Clochers)* 27th - 28th March 2010

This annual festival based around the Chardonnay of Limoux will be held at Couiza near Limoux. At least two members – Hervé Lalau and Marc Vanhellemont – of Les 5 du Vin will be there, so we can look forward to some in-depth comment from the management of Sieur d'Arques.

Some details of the 2010 Toques et Clochers event here.

*: Aussi: ou les « Toqués et les Cloches », les toqués qui le vendent et les cloches qui les achètent ou encore les Cloqués et les Toches, cloqué c’est enceinte et toche, on dit une vieille toche, çà d'une vieille moche.

The consequences of fraud

Here is a copy of an extract from a letter (see below) from the US Treasury Department that appeared today in La Dépêche du Midi. Sent to Christian Ligeard at the French Embassy it informs him that the American government will be tightening up its controls on the import of Vin de Pays Pinot Noir from Languedoc-Roussillon.

Although some may object that the Americans have jumped the gun sending the letter before the twelve defendants were found guilty and the sentence handed down on 17th February, the US response appears to be reasonably measured as I understand it. They have asked for guarantees from the French Government with respect to Pinot Noir Vin de Pays from Languedoc-Roussillon imported into the US. Given the extent of the scandal the Americans might have been within their rights to demand guarantees on all vin de pays from Languedoc-Roussillon.

It is worth remembering that much of the American legislation around alcohol and its distribution were informed by the attitudes prevalent in the lead up to, and during, the American experiment with prohibition.

Department of the Treasury
Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau
Washington DC
January 14th 2010


Mr Christian Ligeard
Counselor for Agriculture
Economic Department
Emassy of France
4101 Reservoir Road NW
Washington, DC 20007-2173


Dear Mr. Ligeard

This letter is in regard to our letter dated February 13, 2008, in, which we raised our concerns about reports of erroneous or fraudulent classification and labeling of Pinot Noir from the Languedoc-Roussillon region of France. You responed by letter dated March 2, 2009 and confirmed that the epported volumes were bigger than the quantities of pinot noir produced in the departments of l"Aude and l'Herault. You also stated that the judical authority opened an inquiry to identify the responsibility of the actors in exporting the wine. To date, we have not received any new or additional information from the government of France in regard to this scandal.

The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) of thr United States Department of the Treasury is delegated with the responsibility, under the provisions of section 105(a) of the Federal Alcohol Administration Act (FAA Act), 27 U.S.C. 205 (e)*, to ensure that alcoholic beverages are accurately labeled in order to protect the public from deception. Because Pinot Noir from the French appellation Vin de pays d'Oc, Vins de pays de l'Aude, Vin de pays de Gard, Vin de pays de l'Herault, or Vin de pays des Pyrenées-Orientales may not meet the requirements stated in TTB's regulations at 27CFR 4.23 and 4,25 to be labeled as such, TTB must take action to ensure that U.S. consumers are not deceived.

We will immediately begin requiring all U.S. Importers of bottled or bulk wine from the Languedoc-Roussillon region of France covered by a Certificate of Label Approval (COLA) naming Vin de pays d'Oc, Vins de pays de l'Aude, Vin de pays de Gard, Vin de pays de l'Herault, or Vin de pays des Pyrenées-Orientales as the appellation of origin and Pinot Noir as the single grape variety, to have in their possession at the time of release of any of those wines from United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) custody a declaration from the Government of France which must:

Extract from letter from US Treasury

There have been several appeals lodged by those found guilty by the court in Carcassonne. These include Sieur d'Arques, Alain Maurel of Vignobles A. Maurel and Claude Courset (Ducasse). Of course the defendants are within their rights to appeal but these appeals extend the media spotlight on this substantial scandal. I assume that the various defendants come up with some more convincing defences than those that were recorded in the judgment of 17th February.

As ever I feel sorry for the genuine hard-working producers of Languedoc-Roussillon and just hope that the fears apparently expressed in the aisles of Vinisud that the Pinot Noir scandal is but 'the tip of the iceberg' prove to be without foundation.

Fake Pinot Noir (cont)

True Pinot Noir – Sancerrre October 2008

Reading part of the judgment makes depressing reading, particularly the role that Sieur d'Arques played in the fraud. Having visited Sieur d'Arques on a number of occasions during the 1990s including for their innovative Toques et Clochers auction of barrels of Chardonnay, I had always been impressed and felt that they were a model co-operative. Sadly it would appear, despite the continued denials by Pierre Mirc, president of the co-op, and Alain Gayda, the managing director, that they were up to their necks in the scam.

Gayda and Mirc claimed they had no idea how much Pinot Noir is planted in Languedoc-Roussillon nor how much is produced. They claimed that as vin de pays was only a marginal part of their business – less than 10%, especially bulk sales their interest was devoted to Sieur d'Arques more prestigious products.

Neither the French fraud squad nor the court were over-impressed by this line of defence. In addition to being president of one of the leading cave cooperatives in the region Mirc is a representative on the INAO, the Fédération Départmentale des Caves Cooperatives and the Syndicat des Producteurs de Vins de Pays d'Oc.

Reading the court summing up you might conclude that Sieur d'Arques know nothing and care even less about Pinot Noir, which is rather curious as Pinot Noir features as part of the blend in no less than six of their Crémants de Limoux – Blason Rouge, Blason d'Arques, Bulle de Crémant Rosé (10% Pinot Noir – limited amount because PN isn't widely available in the region?), Diaphane Grande Cuvée and Crémant Sieur d'Arques Brut and Extra Brut. Admittedly these are AC wines, so perhaps they take more care over its origins.

Gayda's defence was further undermined by Sieur d'Arques oenologue, Christelle Della'Ava, handing over a copy of an email received by Alain Gayda on 28th October 2005 from ONIVINS detailing how much Pinot was planted in Languedoc-Roussillon. Gayda had asked ONIVINS how much Pinot was planted. Gayda passed on a copy of this email to Christelle Dell’Ava, who was then Sieur d’Arques chief oenologist in charge of the bulk Pinot market). Gayda wrote ‘confidentiel !!’ in the margin. What could possibly be confidential about the plantings of Pinot in Languedoc-Roussillon unless you were already in the process of setting up the fraud?  

The information from ONIVINS would have told Gayda that the maximum amount of Pinot that could be produced in the region was 67,680 hls. The court notes that Sieur d'Arques had already sold, according to Gayda's testimony, 10,000-12,000 bottles of Pinot under their 'Red Bycicle' brand. In 2006 Sieur d'Arques bought 53,989 hls from Ducasse, the Carcassonne négociant at the heart of the fraud. Then in 2007 they bought 75,376 hls from Ducasse. Sieur d'Arques sold to the Americans a total of 124,894 hls (16.6 million bottles).  

Leaving aside the maximum figure for the annual production of Pinot Noir in Languedoc-Roussilon, the fraud enquiry estimated that the region produces between 55,000 to 60,000 hls of Pinot. In 2006 Ducasse bought 53,889 hls of 'Pinot' – 93.34% of the total Pinot available on the market in Languedoc-Roussillon. The following year that percentage rose to 132.87%. Of the growers who supplied Ducasse and who were charged with the fraud, only Vignobles Alain Maurel (Domaine Ventenac and Château Ventenac in Cabardès) has any Pinot planted and then only a minimal amount as there appears to be is no mention of it on their website and certainly isn't listed as a component in any of their wines.

True Pinot Noir awaiting sorting in Sancerre: late September 2009

Sadly the ringing declaration on the home page of Vignobles Alain Maurel now rings a little false: 'La démarche qualité doit être construite du raisin å la satisfaction du client. L'élaboration d'un vin est une chaine où il ne peut y avoir de maillon faible.' (A qualitative approach must be built up from the grape to the customer satisfaction. The elaboration of a wine is a chain where there can be no weak link. Quality cannot be claimed, it proves itself.'

The court estimated that the profit (euros) made by those found guilty from the fraud was as follows:

Cave Cooperative de Barbaira: 430,511
Cave Cooperative de Montblanc: 285,961
Cave Cooperative de Canet d'Aude: 249,517
Pierre Fabre: 46,027
La Clairiege: 40,154
SARL Vailhere Courtage: 36,462
Cave Cooperative Cournonteral: 9905
Vignobles Alain Maurel: 458,390
SAS Ducasse: 3,705,101
Sieur d'Arques: 1,307,024 on a turnover of more than 16 million € from the sales of Pinot.

*

In all of this it still remains a mystery exactly how much of the fake Pinot Noir was bought by Constellation Wines and Gallo. Constellation say they bought 10% but claim that what they bought really was Pinot Noir, while Gallo say that they purchased less than 20%. If these claims are correct then we don't know who bought more than 70% of the fake Pinot, assuming that all of it went to North America. The answer has to be in Sieur d'Arques records as they bought the vast majority of Ducasse's fake Pinot. It may also be in the court judgment – unfortunately I have only part of this.

Fake Pinot Noir: Constellation the other US buyer

Genuine Pinot Noir, Sancerre, October 2008

It has now emerged that Constellation was the other US company which bought the fake Pinot Noir.

This is reported in the Independant (Perpignan):

'Ce négociant (referring to Ducasse) avait fait passer d'autres cépages pour du pinot et avait revendu ce vin à la société de commercialisation "Sieur d'Arques" qui, en bout de chaîne, le livrait aux Etats-Unis, en particulier au groupe américain E&J Gallo.

'Gallo n'était probablement pas le seul destinataire. Le groupe indiquait mercredi soir qu'il avait "importé moins de 20% du total" de ce faux pinot noir. En outre, un passage du jugement indique que la société Sieur d'Arques était "détentrice d'un marché important avec les clients américains de la cave (les société Gallo et Constellation), portant sur une quantité significative" de cépage Pinot. Constellation, propriétaire de Mondavi, est numéro un mondial du vin.'

Also in the Wall Street Journal:

'Constellation Confirms Pinot Noir Purchase

Constellation Brands Inc. confirmed Thursday that it purchased pinot noir from a French supplier involved in a massive scheme to sell a phony version of the wine variety, but the company said it believes the product it bought was genuine.

Constellation, the world's largest wine producer by sales, said it 'purchased pinot noir from Sieur d'Arques between 2006 and 2008.'


The WSJ also reported that Constellation said that the wine 'was tested internally after the French court case began and found to be pinot noir'.

If Constellation bought the remaining 80% of the fake Pinot Noir or a significant proportion, then it would seem unlikely that it was all genuine Pinot Noir, although some of it may well have been genuine Merlot or Syrah. However, if Constellation's internal testing procedure is correct and what they bought was Pinot Noir (it does rather depend upon what vintage they tested), the mystery still remains – who bought the remaining 80% fake Pinot Noir.

Fake Pinot Noir

 

True Pinot Noir: Sancerre

I see that the court in Carcassonne today passed sentence on those convicted in the fake Pinot Noir scam. Oceans of Pinot Noir were sold by various organisations including the cooperative Sieur d'Arques in Limoux and Ducasse, a négociant at 4 Avenue Thomas Edison, 11000 Carcassonne to E&J Gallo for their Red Bicyclette Pinot Noir. 

France's fraud department became suspicious during an audit at Ducasse when they discovered that Ducasse were buying Pinot Noir at 58€ per hectolitre when the normal market price for Pinot Noir was 97€, while local grape varieties could be bought for 45€. It also emerged that more Pinot Noir was being sold to Gallo than was produced in the whole of the Languedoc – around 50,000 hl a year. It is only in the cooler areas of Limoux that Pinot Noir can be successfully grown – the majority of Languedoc-Roussilon is far too hot for the Burgundian grape. Patches of Pinot Noir, however, can be found in various parts of the region. On 7th February 2009 Agrisalon reported that every year a company based in Limoux sold over 100,000 hls of Vin de Pays d'Oc Pinot Noir to the North American market.

The 12 defendants were found guilty of selling 18 million bottles (135,334 hectolitres) of fake Pinot Noir to Gallo. The fraud ran from January 2006 to March 2008 and during this time the defendants made a 7€ million profit. The court today handed down suspended jail sentences of between one and six months and levied fines of between 3000€ and 180,000€. Claude Courset of Ducasse received a six month suspended sentence and was fined 45,000€, while the Sieur d'Argues Co-operative was fined 180,000€. Sadly Sieur d'Arques used to have a high reputation and appeared to be a model co-operative.

There have recently been some suggestions that executives at E&J Gallo should have realised that they were being sold fake Pinot Noir. This seems to me to be terribly unfair – why should Gallo executives be expected to tell the difference between Pinot Noir and Carignan and Alicante Bouchet? Actually it was apparently Merlot and Syrah but given the size of the scam there might well have been some Carignan in it.

It is very sad that this scandal will have confirmed some people's view that wine is all about fakery and will hit all French wine, in particular the region of Languedoc-Roussillon. It undermines the efforts of many independent wine producers throughout France. The sort of producers that this blog hopes to play a part in celebrating and promoting.

See also Michel Smith's posting about the glories of Languedoc-Roussillon.