French guilty of selling fake Pinot Noir

A group of French winemakers have been found guilty of selling fake Pinot Noir to the US, news agency AFP reported.

The judge in Carcassonne, south-west France, said the producers and traders had severely damaged the reputation of the Langedoc region.

The 13 defendants were accused of selling 18 million bottles of fake Pinot Noir to US wine giant E&J Gallo in the massive fraud case.

The wine was commercialised under Gallo's popular "Red Bicyclette" Pinot Noir label though made from far less expensive grape varieties.

At an earlier court hearing, the public prosecutor asked for tough sentences, including heavy fines, suspended jail sentences and up to 12 months in jail for one of the defendants.

All but two senior executives have admitted their guilt.

The scandal erupted in March 2008 when France's fraud squad, the DGCCRF, became suspicious during an audit at wine merchant Ducasse.

Ducasse had been buying Pinot Noir at €58 per hectolitre when the official market price was €97, and generic local grape varieties were selling for €45.

Meanwhile, the volume of wine from the renowned Pinot Noir grape being sold to Gallo far exceeded the possible supply from the region, AFP reported.