The recent scandal over cheap French merlot mislabeled as
slightly-less-cheap pinot noir for sale in the United States under
Gallo’s Red Bicyclette label is a sign that consumers should be wary
about what we’re drinking – and another reason to trust importers who
forge relationships with the growers before bringing the wines to market
here in the United States.
Here’s more of my take on the Red Bicyclette scandal, in today’s Washington Post.
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What E&J Gallo has failed to address is what steps have been taken
to ensure that the rest of their import portfolio is true to the
varietal listed on the label. Companies this big put huge pressures on
their supply chain and tend adopt a position that they are not
responsible when a supplier cheats. They know people cheat, the Gallo
family’s shirttail relative, Fred Franzia and Bronco wines got busted
putting zinfandel leaves on top of totes of lessor grapes and paid a
$2.5 million fine.