“Age is just a number. It’s totally irrelevant unless, of course, you happen to be a bottle of wine.” ― Joan Collins
Read the full blog at: https://medium.com/@JanPywellAuthor/a...
When I read that “Dr. Conti” (Rudy Kurniawan)sold $35 million bottles of fake wine between 2004 and 2012 at only two auctions —through one of the biggest auction houses— I was impressed.
The downside was that Kurniawan got caught and served seven years for his crime. Happily, it provided me with the gem of an idea for a new book.
Wine also complemented the menus in my Ronda George thrillers, named after my kickboxing and Masterchef champion and unique protagonist. I researched wine fraud further, then wrote and published the third book in the series: The Manipulators.
How relevant is wine fraud?
With the cost of living soaring; OUR ELECTRICITY, GAS AND PETROL PRICES RISING — would wine investment impress you?
Although fraud of expensive wines hits headlines, wine fraud isn’t just a case of switching labels. It’s become far more sophisticated than that.
Even wines like Rioja or Jacob’s Creek that retail for under $15 are swapped for cheaper, more inferior wines and sold wholesale through bars, pubs and clubs.
“Accept what life offers you and try to drink from every cup. All wines should be tasted; some should only be sipped, but with others, drink the whole bottle.” ― Paulo Coelho
Through the internet and via websites like Ebay, fake investors and other wine distributors make it easier for wine blends, origins or varieties to be misrepresented. The restrictions of Covid have also meant that checks of imported / exported wines were perhaps not as thorough as they had been. Due diligence has seemingly been neglected.
Wine fraud has left an estimated $3 billion hole in the industry.
So, when you’re browsing the shelves of your local supermarket or wine shop, how will you know the wine you buy isn’t fake?
Well, you could learn the difference between printed label qualities, check ink colours, paper styles and watermarks. You could also smell the stained labels to make sure they’re not reeking of coffee, tea or even tobacco, and you may consider using a UV flashlight to detect adhesive and paper fibres in the label. It’s all in the details!
If you think you’ve been affected by wine fraud then see the links at the end of this blog. If, like me, you’re only interested in enjoying a glass of wine while reading a good book, then check out The Manipulators.
So, I’m off to sniff the label on my wine bottle and raise a glass to the less expensive pursuit of reading. Check out the blurb of The Manipulators below:
Masterchef and kickboxing champion, Ronda George, agrees to be the ‘eyes and ears’ for Inspector Joachin García Abascal from Europol, whilst catering for an international convention of ‘Religious, Spiritual Minds and Bodies’.
At a remote monastery in Wales, the conference is thrown into disarray when tragedy strikes and a body is washed up on the beach. But Ronda believes this is all a cover-up for a more serious crime — a sophisticated wine fraud.
As the truth is revealed Ronda must act quickly. She must use all her military training to succeed. But is she strong enough to stop an illegal and profitable crime when there’s so much to lose?
Cheers my friends and Happy Reading ;-))
Janet
Janet is a tutor at CCCU. She writes crime thrillers and contemporary romance. For more information about her books click here. She also provides an elite one-to-one novel mentoring service:
https://www.subscribepage.com/the_nov...
The Concealers — book 1
The Influencers— book 2
The Manipulators — book 3
Chai Consulting
Winefraud.com,
When I read that “Dr. Conti” (Rudy Kurniawan)sold $35 million bottles of fake wine between 2004 and 2012 at only two auctions —through one of the biggest auction houses— I was impressed.
The downside was that Kurniawan got caught and served seven years for his crime. Happily, it provided me with the gem of an idea for a new book.
Wine also complemented the menus in my Ronda George thrillers, named after my kickboxing and Masterchef champion and unique protagonist. I researched wine fraud further, then wrote and published the third book in the series: The Manipulators.
How relevant is wine fraud?
With the cost of living soaring; OUR ELECTRICITY, GAS AND PETROL PRICES RISING — would wine investment impress you?
Although fraud of expensive wines hits headlines, wine fraud isn’t just a case of switching labels. It’s become far more sophisticated than that.
Even wines like Rioja or Jacob’s Creek that retail for under $15 are swapped for cheaper, more inferior wines and sold wholesale through bars, pubs and clubs.
“Accept what life offers you and try to drink from every cup. All wines should be tasted; some should only be sipped, but with others, drink the whole bottle.” ― Paulo Coelho
Through the internet and via websites like Ebay, fake investors and other wine distributors make it easier for wine blends, origins or varieties to be misrepresented. The restrictions of Covid have also meant that checks of imported / exported wines were perhaps not as thorough as they had been. Due diligence has seemingly been neglected.
Wine fraud has left an estimated $3 billion hole in the industry.
So, when you’re browsing the shelves of your local supermarket or wine shop, how will you know the wine you buy isn’t fake?
Well, you could learn the difference between printed label qualities, check ink colours, paper styles and watermarks. You could also smell the stained labels to make sure they’re not reeking of coffee, tea or even tobacco, and you may consider using a UV flashlight to detect adhesive and paper fibres in the label. It’s all in the details!
If you think you’ve been affected by wine fraud then see the links at the end of this blog. If, like me, you’re only interested in enjoying a glass of wine while reading a good book, then check out The Manipulators.
So, I’m off to sniff the label on my wine bottle and raise a glass to the less expensive pursuit of reading. Check out the blurb of The Manipulators below:
Masterchef and kickboxing champion, Ronda George, agrees to be the ‘eyes and ears’ for Inspector Joachin García Abascal from Europol, whilst catering for an international convention of ‘Religious, Spiritual Minds and Bodies’.
At a remote monastery in Wales, the conference is thrown into disarray when tragedy strikes and a body is washed up on the beach. But Ronda believes this is all a cover-up for a more serious crime — a sophisticated wine fraud.
As the truth is revealed Ronda must act quickly. She must use all her military training to succeed. But is she strong enough to stop an illegal and profitable crime when there’s so much to lose?
Cheers my friends and Happy Reading ;-))
Janet
Janet is a tutor at CCCU. She writes crime thrillers and contemporary romance. For more information about her books click here. She also provides an elite one-to-one novel mentoring service:
https://www.subscribepage.com/the_nov...
The Concealers — book 1
The Influencers— book 2
The Manipulators — book 3
Chai Consulting
Winefraud.com,
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