Consumption

This is probably not the first time that you've heard of fraud on wines of French origin, a scam that is most often based on labels that don't correspond to the contents of the bottle. While these scandals have until now mainly concerned certain grands crus and large wine producers, it's now also smaller producers who are involved in fraud.

Indeed, taking advantage of the wave of enthusiasm for local products and the formidable French label, some unscrupulous producers wouldn't hesitate to import Spanish wine that they then transform and label as local production. A very profitable illusion for fraudsters since the purchase cost of a liter (on average €0.35) would be two to three times cheaper than wines produced in France. At this price, the calculation is quickly done!

Unfortunately, cases of fraud don't seem to be isolated and there are even many examples among distributors. It must be said that control measures don't seem to be very effective. Inspection are announced 4 days in advance, which allows fraudsters to organize themselves and tamper with samples.

Added to this scourge is a second problem that is more about deception and trickery. Large merchants buy Spanish wine and label it with the words "wine packaged in France", a wording manipulation intended to mislead unsuspecting consumers.

As you might expect, cubis are no exception to the rule. In this case, the merchant launches a second brand that is very similar to the first, but in the cheaper cubi, producers actually package a Spanish wine.

To avoid being taken for a ride, remember this: if you are faced with two wines with similar names and a price difference (on average 20% cheaper), compare the labels carefully. The cheaper wine will most likely be a Spanish wine!

(MH with FvE - Source: La Dernière Heure - Picture: Pixabay)