http://www.smartcompany.com.au/food-and-beverages/20100409-winemaker-convicted-of-passing-off-cheap-wine-as-chardonnay.html

River Wines an Australian based winery has been convicted of falsifying records and fraud for passing off grape juice as their branded chardonnay. Grape growers supplied sultana grapes to River Wines in good faith with no knowledge of the deceptive practices. The conviction and painstaking litigation stems from 2003 reports of grape/wine purchasers questioning the validity of Rivers’ bulk grape juice. This is one of the most significant deceptions ever in Australia’s wine industry history leaving many French, Australian, and U.S. wineries to question the ethics and business practices of their partners or wine suppliers. Chief executive of the Australian Wine and Brandy Corporation (AWBC) noted that the cooperation and vigilance of grape growers that supplied River Wines were important in ensuring a successful prosecution. The recent convictions of River Wines will most likely lead to increased quality and assurance standards for Australian based wineries to prevent collusion and fraud

Brandon Murawski