Fraud and counterfeit wines in France: an overview and perspectives

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyze the specificities of wine forgery today and to show the perspectives offered to the different stakeholders in the wine industry. Design/methodology/approach Owing to the technical aspects of this paper, a literature review based on academic papers (history) and articles coming from the professional press, internet websites and public organizations was made. Findings It was found that frauds have always existed. Forgers are constantly in search of new ways of counterfeiting wines. Producers have had to adapt to the various forms of counterfeiting, mainly by resorting to modern technology. As the traceability of great wines is becoming crucial, a new type of relationships between producers anxious to offer genuine estate wines and consumers anxious to drink the bottles they ordered has developed. This new constraint became a marketing opportunity for producers. Research limitations/implications It was difficult to obtain official data (interviews or surveys) because of the sensitiveness of the topic. Practical implications This paper, which offers an inventory of the methods used by forgers to deceive customers, makes both producers and consumers aware of the extent of the problem. The counterfeiting phenomenon is dangerous for producers’ image and the technological changes are a tool allowing producers to protect their wine and reinforce their relationships with consumers. Originality/value This paper gives an overview of forgers’ ploys in France. It opens a discussion about perspectives for the different stakeholders while most of the research tends to focus on technical solutions and the analysis of specific affairs which received media coverage.