French prosecutors have accused a leading Bordeaux négociant and bulk wine bottler with “flagrant” wine fraud. On March 15, Bordeaux’s criminal tribunal heard the charges against Grands Vins de Gironde (GVG), which is owned by the Castéja family. Investigators allege that GVG illegally blended wines from prestigious appellations with table wine, and mixed appellation wines, vintages and châteaus.

Reading from a thick case file, Judge Caroline Baret declared that the investigation revealed that at least 611,900 liters of wine (the equivalent of 68,000 cases) worth $1.6 million were mislabeled during a period from Jan. 1, 2014, to Dec. 31, 2015. The prosecutor argued for a $614,000 fine for GVG and a $12,000 fine for codefendant Eric Marin, GVG’s former director of purchasing.

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