Awards and citations:


1997: Le Prix du Champagne Lanson Noble Cuvée Award for investigations into Champagne for the Millennium investment scams

2001: Le Prix Champagne Lanson Ivory Award for investdrinks.org

2011: Vindic d'Or MMXI – 'Meilleur blog anti-1855'

2011: Robert M. Parker, Jnr: ‘This blogger...’:

2012: Born Digital Wine Awards: No Pay No Jay – best investigative wine story

2012: International Wine Challenge – Personality of the Year Award




Wednesday 8 June 2011

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.'


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.

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