They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery – this being the case, then it has to be said that the Chinese have been ‘flattering’ a lot of products over the years! Their latest target, wine…..

You may recall that a few months ago I was writing about Gallo’s famous ‘Red Bicyclette’ Pinot Noir, whereby they were found guilty of passing off a blended wine as a single varietal. At least, in this particular Gallo case, the wine was actually produced in the country of origin – being made from French grapes, albeit not 100% Pinot Noir.

However, in this latest fraud it is the famous Jacob’s Creek brand that is being ripped off ; an Australian Chardonnay that was actually produced in China! Hundreds of cases have been seized in London, where perhaps surprisingly, it was the consumers themselves who brought it to the attention of authorities. Customers complained to Pernot Ricard (the owners) that their beloved Aussie Chardonnay tasted ‘unusual’ or perhaps even ‘diluted’, it simply had ‘a different taste and colour’. Of course a quick glance at the label might also have given the game away, as it boldly declared ‘Wine of Austrlia’ – presumably these sophisticated wine fraudsters did not have spellcheck on their computers.

Whatever next? Perhaps Castro Martin – Made in Taiwan?