Canterbury company fined $1.7m for selling wine with fake labels

Southern Boundary Wines has been fined 1.7 million dollars. Photo / 123RF

A Canterbury wine company has been fined $1.7 million - for selling tens of thousands of bottles with fake labels.

In the High Court in Christchurch today, Southern Boundary Wines was sentenced on dozens of charges under the Wine Act.

However, Justice Rachel Dunnongham noted the company's now in liquidation and it's unlikely they can pay it.

The company exported 330 thousand litres of Sauvignon Blanc - with incorrect years, origins or blends on the labels.

The court heard the wine industry runs on a trust-based system.

MPI says New Zealand wine is only competitive on an international market because it has a premium reputation.

The company's vineyard manager Scott Berry, winemaker Rebecca Cope, and export manager Andrew Moore were also sentenced on a raft of charges.

Berry was sentenced to 10 months, two weeks home detention - and ordered to pay reparations of $25,000.

Moore will serve two months, two weeks home detention, and pay a fine to MPI.

Cope - who faced just three charges - was sentenced to 200 hours of community work.