French wine scam effects Pinot Noir
French wine scam effects Pinot Noir
Jul 21, 2010 6
Are your taste buds good enough to distinguish between Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon or between Pinot Noir and Syrah? I don’t believe that I can always distinguish between certain varietals, but it is nice to be able to take a blind taste of a wine and then look at the bottle to find out exactly what I just tasted. Well, at least that is what I used to believe — that is until Red Bicyclette scandal hit the market. Red Bicyclette is a label owned by E&J Gallo, and produced using bulk wine that is made in France and imported into the United States by Gallo. In February, a French court found that at least 12 individuals were guilty of selling millions of bottles of Red Bicyclette Pinot Noir that had been illegally watered down using Merlot and Syrah. The court suspended jail time for these people and ordered fines ranging from $3,500 up to $230,000. According to the prosecutors, the scam had netted more than $9 million dollars in profit for the French firms that were involved.
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