The Drinks Business reports that James Wellesley, a UK citizen who also used the names Andrew Fuller and Andrew Templar, has been sentenced in New York to 10 years in prison over a US$97 million fine wine investment scam. Prosecutors said he and a co-conspirator falsely told investors that loans were secured against high-value wine collections held by Bordeaux Cellars, when in fact the collectors and collateral did not exist and new money was used to pay earlier investors. It is a stark reminder that fine wine still attracts fraud built on prestige, opacity and the promise of steady returns.
Legal
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EU Defends Champagne and Prosecco Names in Trade Deals
The Drinks Business reports that the EU is treating wine as a red-line issue in trade negotiations, even while offering limited concessions on agricultural imports such as beef and sheep meat. According to its summary of Euronews reporting, Brussels continues to insist on strong protection for geographical indications such as Champagne and Prosecco, with partner countries often required to restrict or phase out those names in export markets. The broader takeaway is that the EU sees wine names tied to origin as strategic commercial assets, not just labelling details.
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Southern Glazer’s Executives Indicted Over Alleged California Wine Bribery Scheme
The San Francisco Chronicle reports that federal prosecutors have unsealed an indictment accusing senior figures at Southern Glazer’s, the largest alcohol distributor in the US, of running a long-running bribery scheme tied to supermarket wine placements in California. Prosecutors allege the scheme, said to span 2016 to 2024, involved bribes to an Albertsons wine buyer, including luxury trips, cash, gift cards and electronics, with false paperwork used to disguise payments as legitimate marketing spend. Five Southern Glazer’s executives and a Napa winery salesman were indicted, and the retailer’s buyer has reportedly already pleaded guilty.
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Uncorking a Scandal: Master Sommelier Lawsuit Heads to Trial
Reuters reports that three candidates who briefly held the Master Sommelier title in 2018 are suing the Court of Master Sommeliers, Americas after the organisation voided the tasting exam over cheating allegations, with a five day jury trial scheduled later this year in San Francisco federal court. The article says the dispute centres on an email sent just before the blind tasting, containing shorthand that could be read as tips, and argues the case has become a referendum on due process and the credibility of one of fine wine’s key gatekeepers, with fewer than 300 Master Sommeliers worldwide.