Stranger than fiction

The latest example of passing off fraudulent wine to a Californian company was uncovered recently in South West France. In “L’Affaire de Syranot de Bergerac” as it is known, bog standard Merlot has been adulterated by large dollops of grand cru Burgundy and Hermitage. “If I wanted elegance I would have bought a Fabergé egg,” fumed one Merlot-phile.