The wine world has seen several scandals; among them, the Rudy Kurniawan case, documented in the 2016 film Sour Grapes, is undoubtedly the most notorious. Whiskey and cognac have also been affected. However, there have been surprisingly few scandals involving counterfeit brandy, despite the popularity—and legendary status, according to some—of the Rudy Romero case.
As Marcelino Piquero of the Jerez-based winery Sánchez Romate points out in *The Truth Uncovered*, a series on little-known cases of fraud, the reason is obvious. You can buy the liquid, you can buy the barrels, you can try to cobble together the product with these ingredients, but
“There is something money cannot buy… time”
“Rare bottles are valuable investments, which is why this field is highly attractive to criminals,” explains beverage expert Adam Whittaker. “And since buyers are unlikely to open the bottle and drink its contents—as they want to protect its value—we immediately lose what is perhaps the greatest indication of its authenticity.”
However, as Whittaker explains, there are other ways to tell if a bottle or case is authentic, and other ways to avoid being scammed as an investor.
“We should buy only from trusted auction houses, retailers, or intermediaries,” advises Whittaker. “Although this wasn’t particularly helpful in the Romero case, it’s a simple rule that will save you trouble—and money.”
“However, some bottles may have been sold multiple times as part of large collections without anyone realizing it,” warns Whittaker. “That lends them a certain credibility: not all counterfeit bottles are sold by unscrupulous people. Some are sold unintentionally.”
The rise of sites like eBay has provided unscrupulous individuals with another avenue to take advantage of potential investors. “Never buy a bottle you haven’t seen,” Whittaker advises, “and in any case, whether you’re buying from Sotheby’s or an anonymous seller on a website, check the facts. Does that bottle, vintage, or edition actually exist? The internet can work against us, but it can also help us get to the bottom of things.”
In the wine industry, these wines or bottles are known as “unicorns.” “Very old jeroboams from vineyards that have never gone beyond the magnum,” explains Adam. “Vintages that simply never happened. Even bottles from before they grew their first grape! And similar things happen with spirits.”
The same applies to the labels and presentation. “Even distilleries that cling to tradition have changed their bottles over the centuries—or the color of the label, or its size, etc. If you have access to other bottles, or reliable photos, or bottles from that era, make the comparison.”
Of course, there are also very clear clues. “You’d be surprised by the number of counterfeit bottles that are discovered because of simple spelling mistakes,” says Whittaker, laughing. “And you’d be even more surprised by the number of counterfeit bottles that aren’t discovered until it’s too late.”
However, in some cases, they are very easy to spot. Whittaker tells the story of a traveler who found an extremely rare bottle of a famous spirit in Thailand at a very good price. The traveler asked the shop owner what the chances were that the bottle was authentic. The owner just smiled and said that, if he preferred, he could stick other labels on the bottle…
But not all counterfeits, alleged or otherwise, are so easy to detect. The Rudy Romero case is an example of this. What will Whittaker think of these accusations? Off the record, Whittaker speaks candidly and eloquently about the events of the case. When speaking officially again, he is more reticent. “Rudy’s admiration for Cardenal Mendoza is thoroughly documented,” he explains, and, as Marcelino says in the documentary,
“Time cannot be faked.”
When asked the big question—is Rudy innocent or guilty?—Whittaker just smiles. “Let’s just say we probably haven’t heard the last of that case.”
