In the rarefied world of fine wine, where bottles can command prices equivalent to luxury cars, authenticity is everything. Laurent Ponsot&#39;s gripping memoir &quot;FBI: Fake Bottle Investigation&quot; reads more like a high-stakes thriller than a traditional wine book, chronicling his relentless pursuit of one of the wine world&#39;s most infamous counterfeiters, Rudy Kurniawan.

As the proprietor of Domaine Ponsot, one of Burgundy&#39;s most prestigious estates, Ponsot&#39;s journey began when he discovered counterfeit bottles of his family&#39;s wine at an auction &ndash; including vintages that had never been produced. What followed was an exhaustive investigation that would span continents, involve federal authorities, and ultimately lead to the first criminal prosecution for wine fraud in US history.

While many know this story from the documentary &quot;Sour Grapes,&quot; Ponsot&#39;s firsthand account offers fascinating new details and important corrections to the film&#39;s narrative. His motivation transcends mere business interests; it&#39;s a deeply personal crusade to protect not just his family&#39;s legacy, but the integrity of Burgundy&#39;s winemaking heritage and France&#39;s cultural patrimony.

The book excels in depicting the methodical detective work required to expose sophisticated wine fraud. Ponsot&#39;s expertise as a winemaker proves crucial in spotting telltale signs of counterfeiting, from impossible vintages to subtle inconsistencies in label design and glass manufacturing. His persistence in the face of initial skepticism from auction houses and collectors highlights how deeply embedded fake wines had become in the fine wine market.

The stakes of wine fraud remain alarmingly high today. Experts estimate that counterfeit wines represent anywhere from 20% to 50% of the secondary market for rare vintages, potentially accounting for billions in fraudulent sales annually. And while Kurniawan&#39;s conviction marked a watershed moment in combating wine fraud, the story didn&#39;t end there. Since his release and return to Asia, rumors have swirled about his continued connections to the wine world &ndash; a sobering reminder that the vulnerabilities exposed by his case continue to plague the industry. The fight against sophisticated wine counterfeiters remains as urgent as ever.

Ponsot&#39;s narrative skill brings the investigation to life with cinematic flair. From clandestine meetings with FBI agents to the dramatic auction room confrontation that helped build the case against Kurniawan, each chapter ratchets up the tension. The technical details of winemaking and authentication are explained clearly enough for general readers while satisfying even the most knowledgeable oenophiles.

What elevates this book beyond a simple true-crime narrative is Ponsot&#39;s passionate defense of wine as more than just a luxury commodity. His writing conveys the deep cultural significance of Burgundy&#39;s winemaking traditions and the moral imperative to protect them. The righteous anger that fuels his investigation is balanced by moments of humor and an insider&#39;s perspective on the sometimes absurd world of ultra-premium wine collecting.

&quot;FBI: Fake Bottle Investigation&quot; is essential reading for wine enthusiasts, but it&#39;s equally compelling for anyone who enjoys tales of justice served. Ponsot has crafted a fascinating expos&eacute; of high-stakes fraud and a love letter to the authentic winemaking traditions he has spent his life defending. Hollywood would be wise to option this story &ndash; it has all the ingredients of a classic thriller, made all the more remarkable by being true.

In an era where authenticity seems increasingly rare, Ponsot&#39;s unwavering commitment to truth and tradition is refreshing. This book isn&#39;t just about wine fraud; it&#39;s about standing up for what&#39;s right, regardless of the personal cost. For anyone interested in wine, true crime, or simply a well-told story of principle triumphing over greed, &quot;FBI: Fake Bottle Investigation&quot; is a must-read.

&nbsp;

FBI &ndash; Fake Bottles Investigation, is available in English! 
Self-published by Laurent Ponsot, it is for sale&nbsp;for 22 euros. 
 
If you would like to have your copy, please contact at FBIbyLP@gmail.com or you can find the French version here at <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/fbi-laurent-ponsot/1144002655?ean=9782749955964">Barnes and Nobles</a>.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

In the rarefied world of fine wine, where bottles can command prices equivalent to luxury cars, authenticity is everything. Laurent Ponsot's gripping memoir "FBI: Fake Bottle Investigation" reads more like a high-stakes thriller than a traditional wine book, chronicling his relentless pursuit of one of the wine world's most infamous counterfeiters, Rudy Kurniawan.

From Burgundy's Vineyards to the FBI's Most Wanted: A Winemaker's Quest for Justice

Wines from grapes grown in higher altitude areas with cooler climate has become quite the trend recently. This specific growing environment gives intense flavor but elegance and freshness to the final wines. To highlight and champion these conditions more and more winemakers are starting to use alto as a marketing and labelling term to show their grapes were grown in high altitude vineyards.

Decoding the wine label: Alto

Brut is a word often seen on labels for different kinds of sparkling wine. As you may have discovered when drinking these wines, it indicates that the wine is dry, meaning there is no perceived sweetness in the wine. But how about Extra Brut or Dry, what do they mean and are they the same as Brut?

Decoding the wine label: Brut

Semi-sweet Riesling, a type of wine falling out of style. It’s a shame, since these wines are perfect to pair with flavorful cuisines like Asian or Mexican, or simply drink as they come under the summer sun. The higher level of sugar left in the wine also means that the alcoholic fermentation was stopped before finishing, providing a wine with lower alcohol level and therefor easier grabbing a second glass of.

Decoding the wine label: Spätlese

Have you ever heard the word Xinomavro? Most have not. It is however a word on many sommeliers’ lips today, as it happens to be considered the grape variety with the highest quality in Greece, and one that is trending at the moment. The fact that Greece have been making wine for a long time comes as no surprise, but they have never exported an amount to make sure wine lovers around the globe tried it. With the growing wine tourism many have discovered these wines and are serving them in wine bars and restaurants in many countries today.

Decoding the wine label: Xinomavro

Chianti Classico, Valpolicella Classico, Soave Classico… Why do all these Italian wine regions have the Classico addendum and what does it mean? What is the difference for wines labeled as Classico?

Classico is a wine term in Italy seen on a few wine labels and it indicates that the wine’s from the historic center of the region, the heart. Using Chianti and Chianti Classico and their Sangiovese-based red wines as an example, Chianti is a rather large wine district within the Tuscany region. Chianti Classico is located withing Chianti as the central part and the one that originally existed. Back then this smaller region was actually called Chianti, but as the region grew the quality of the wine plummeted and the well-known characteristics of these red wines were watered down. The reputation took a hit and sales diminished. Eventually this led to the creation of Chianti Classico, which would be drawn from the original Chianti borders to recover the typicity of these wines. Today the quality of both Chianti and Chianti Classico have risen a lot due to modern techniques and knowledge about pruning, planting and temperature control in the winery.

Decoding the wine label: Classico

Chablis – one of the more popular styles of wine today and a region known by many. Most are familiar with the word Chablis and the light, fresh white wine with a touch of minerality it brings. Even though it’s a renowned wine, few knows what it really is.

Decoding the wine label: Chablis

Many grape varieties around the world of wine have names local to the region or country they’re grown in, even though they’re exactly the same. The most famous example would be Syrah in France where the same grape is named Shiraz in Australia. Another variety with two names is Pinot Grigio, or Pinot Gris.

Decoding the wine label: Pinot Grigio

Have you ever seen the term sur lie on a wine label? It’s not a grape and not a wine region, but a winemaking method used to give certain styles of white wine a rounder texture and a more complex flavor profile.

Decoding the wine label: Sur lie

Lupa

Grant Wood

Lupa

RT: Hello and welcome back to another episode with CorkRules!&nbsp;

A podcast where&nbsp;we review a Wine List from your favorite restaurants. I&rsquo;m your host Robert Tas along with Grant Wood, Wine Educator and Certified Sommelier. Hello Grant,&nbsp;it&rsquo;s great to have you join our CorkRules family!

GW: Hey Robert, I&rsquo;m so happy to be here with you.

RT: Before we jump in, let&rsquo;s talk about CorkRules.

We created CorkRules to demystify wine list&rsquo;s because we know from experience, that sometimes when we get that list handed to us, well&hellip; it can be intimidating, and even a little daunting.

Our aim is to help prepare you to navigate that list, find those hidden gems, or value wines or that special bottle that will take your dining experience over the top.

RT:&nbsp;So, sit back and listen as we review your favorite wine list.

Lupa is a casual osteria located between Soho and Noho focusing on the classics of a Roman Trattoria with an Italian-focused wine list to match. This is truly a place to let your inner Italiano thrive and shout &ldquo;In vino veritas!&rdquo;.

Let&rsquo;s dive into their wines.

There is quite the selection to choose from with bubbles from Prosecco to Lambrusco but let me start by highlighting the 2011 Brut Ferrando &ldquo;La Torrazza&rdquo; from the DOCG of Erbaluce di Caluso in the Italian region of Piemonte. This is wine made in to Metodo Classico method with will offer toasty and fresh characteristic flavors and be a fresh and inviting way to start your evening. The list of Prosecco and Franciacorta looked great, though, as well so don&rsquo;t limit yourself by any means.

Moving on to whites, I think a great value on this list in the 2015 Ronchi di Cialla&rsquo;s Ribolla Gialla from the northeastern region of Colli Orientali del Friuli which will provide a lot of tension and herbal, preserved citrus rinds. Otherwise, the 2015 Vermentino &ldquo;Il Maggiore&rdquo; from Lambruschi in the DOC of Colli di Luna would a fun splurge that would be a great match with anything on the menu. Another one that caught my eye is the 2010 Paolo Bea &#39;Arboreus&#39;&nbsp;which is Trebbiano from Umbria. It&rsquo;s more of a funky, textural, savory wine with a lot of florals and dried fruit but not for the faint of heart!

On to the reds, there&rsquo;s a lot to choose here with an extensive list of Barolo and Barbaresco with classics like Giacomo Conterno and even a 1965 Angelo Gaja for $400 which would be a special splurge for sure. A great value wine coming from Tuscany would be the 2016 Rosso di Montalcino by Gianni Brunelli. Rosso di Montalcino are always great value wines from great producers that release these wines younger and with less oak than their more coveted Brunello&rsquo;s so don&rsquo;t pass up these wines if you want your dollar to go a bit further. Another fun find is the 2011 Girolamo Russo &ldquo;Feudo&rdquo; from Etna Rosso which is from the red Narello Mascalese which has lots of structure leading into coffee, amaro, and black fruit characteristics.

To wrap up here, I think this is a well thought of list that really spans the beautiful country of Italy so come curious and don&rsquo;t be afraid to branch out and try something new.

Grant, great job today!&nbsp; Thank you for all your great suggestions and helping us navigate Lupa&rsquo;s wine list. I can&rsquo;t wait to go and try your suggestions myself.

To our audience, thank you all for joining us here on CorkRules.&nbsp; If you would like us to review one of your favorite restaurants, please send us email to: <a href="mailto:Info@corkrules.com">Info@corkrules.com</a> or visit our web website where we have a request form available and we will do our best to get it in the queue as quickly as possible.

We are looking forward to being with you on another CorkRules episode soon. In the meantime, please check out our website for other episodes of your favorite restaurant wine lists.

And finally, drink what you love and please make sure you drink responsibly.

&nbsp;

Thank you.

&nbsp;

End

&nbsp;

BRAT

Bocca di Lupe

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Alba Restaurant

Alba

10 Greek Street

L'Auberge Chez Francois

Andrew Edmunds

Salt Seafood and Oyster Bar

Matteos Ristorante Italiano

Matteo's

Weinstock Cellar is one of the premier wineries in Napa County, known for our exceptional wines and commitment to sustainable winemaking practices.

Viva Garcia

Brera Osteria

Buddy V's

Yardbird

CHICA Las Vegas

Chica

Bar Zazu

Hell's Kitchen, Las Vegas

Brera

Jasmine

homepage

CorkRules application allows you to discover wines at your favorite restaurants, learn with friends and be confident with price transparency. Order wine with confidence at restaurants and retailers. Get personalized recommendations. #DrinkWhatYouLove

Ethel's Fancy

La Staffa

Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Superiore 2019

Verdicchio

Marche, Italy

Cusumano

Nero d'Avola 2020

Nero d'Avola

Terre Siciliane, Italy

Sorelle Bronca

Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore Extra Dry NV

Glera

Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore, Italy

Ca La Bionda

Valpolicella Classico 2020

Blend

Valpolicella Classico, Italy

Pierre Luneau-Papin

La Grange Vieilles Vignes Muscadet Sevre & Maine Tire Sur Lie 2020

Melon de Bourgogne

Muscadet Sèvre et Maine, France

Populis

Red Blend 2021

Blend

Mendocino County, USA

Famille Peillot

Bugey Montagnieu Brut 2017

Blend

Bugey, France

Köfererhof

Kerner 2021

Kerner

Trentino-Alto Adige, Italy

Weingut Brundlmayer

Kamptaler Terrassen Gruner Veltliner, Kamptal DAC 2021

Kamptal, Austria

Filliatreau

Domaine, Saumur, Chateau Fouquet Rose 2019

Loire, France

La Capranera

Falanghina 2019

Falanghina

Campania, Italy

Chateau de Roquefort

Cotes de Provence Corail Rose 2021

France

Anna Maria Abbona

Netta Nascetta 2020

Nascetta

Langhe, Italy

Domaine Gregoire Hoppenot Fleurie 'Origines', Beaujolais 2020

Beaujolais, France

Viteadovest

Rina Bianco 2020

Blend

Terre Siciliane, Italy