One of the biggest négoiciants for Bordeaux, Grands Vins de Gironde, is accused by investigators in a long-running investigation of having illegally blended more than 600,000 litres of AOC wine with local and other wines between the beginning of 2014 and the end of 2015. Cheap wine from the Languedoc has been blended with Bordeaux, table wines have been labelled IGP wines and Bordeaux of the 2011 vintage has been sold as 2012.
In addition, the French wine trading company Signes de Terre is also suspected of having illegally blended, misclassified and sold around 42,000 litres of wine to other negociants between 2012 and 2014. Grands Vins de Gironde is one of its customers.
(uka)