News Flash — Has Fake News Taken Over The Wine Game?

These days it seems that everyone is buzzing about fake news. The government may even introduce a law that will teach people how to spot fake news. And, there is another move that is gaining some traction that would teach wine drinkers how to spot and identify fake wines. But, like fake news, fake wines do not come in a one size fits all package.

Some fake wines are wines made to be something that they are not. Like making a wine that never existed like the 1947 Romanée-Conti that the Underground exposed way back in the 1980s (to read real news about the bogus 1947 Romanée-Conti and very early wine fraud articles click here).

Or something more recent like putting a Lafite Rothschild label on Two Buck Chuck. Well maybe that hasn't happened yet. I don't know. But, if it does, I am sure that there are people out there who would rave about it. After all, some people have raved about other fake wines that were made using wines that have nothing to do with what is represented on the label. And, from this extreme, it goes down to lesser things. These include: putting different grape varieties in a bottle that is supposedly a varietal, adding flavorings and other additives, and assorted manipulative practices that the Underground has written about in the past (to read real news about these all these things click here).

So now, just as fake news has divided people into two camps, bands of people are starting to demonstrate against fake wines and, at the same time, others are demonstrating for the right to drink fake wines. The latter group claims that it makes no difference that the wines are fake. Their criterion is that they must like the wines and that the wines are readily available to everyone at cheap prices. As you might expect, this has resulted in a major conflict. In some areas things have gone so far as to involve injuries from broken bottles. If you have missed these demonstrations, never fear. Funded by some of the big bucks boys, these demonstrations are becoming as popular as the free wine that is consumed. Be sure to look for one of these demonstrations in your neighborhood soon. Then you can decide – To fake or not to fake? Click Here for the answer that will surprise you.

This article originally appeared in The Underground Wineletter on March 31, 2017.