French Authorities Expose Huge Rhône Wine Scandal

According to France's anti-fraud organization, more than five million gallons of wine falsely labeled as Côtes-du-Rhône — a designation given to wines from the Rhône region and carefully monitored, like all French wine appellations, by the government's Institut National des Appellations d'Origine — were sold between 2013 and 2016. Some 264,000 gallons of that were even marketed as Châteauneuf-du-Pape, a particularly renowned Rhône wine that commands premium prices.

The findings were revealed late last week by the Direction Générale de la Concurrence, de la Consommation et de la Répression des Fraudes (DGCDRF). The investigation into the scandal found a "massive misuse of the Côtes-du-Rhône label," some of it by an unnamed major wine wholesaler.

The Drinks Business and other outlets have suggested that the company in question is Raphaël Michel, whose eponymous chairman was arrested in August of last year for wine mislabeling, along with other high-ranking employees of the company. DGCDRF chief executive Virginie Beaumeunier reportedly told the media that the CEO of the company in the report was indicted for "deception and fraud."

The high prices fetched by premium wines can present fertile ground for fraud. In 2016, Liber Pater's Loïc Pasquet was charged with fraud over the misuse of approximately $650,000 in agricultural subsidies that had been intended to promote his luxury Bordeaux wines in Russia, China, and Brazil. He was given a one-year suspended prison sentence, issued a $12,327 fine, and ordered to pay back $283,523 of the subsidies he received.

If you aren't as particular about your vino as the French government, here are 8 secrets to scoring wine deals at Costco and 20 reasons to drink a glass every day.