[1] As a result of the blending and importation practices, wine sold as Pinot noir often does not have the characteristic taste of the grape, and can easily be confused by consumers and experts for other varietals.
[2] According to The Guardian, French authorities believe that Claude Courset, owner and general manager of Ducasse Wine Merchants, earned approximately 7 million euros from the scam to pass off "cheap plonk" as Pinot noir from January 2006 through March 2008.
French investigators were suspicious that the firm was buying Pinot noir wine at 40 percent less than the going rate, in quantities that exceeded the historical production level of the region.
[5] On February 17, 2010, 12 people from the Languedoc-Roussillon region of France were convicted by a court in Carcassonne in connection with the fraud,[2] including the head of Ducasse, Claude Courset (described as the "kingpin" of the scheme), executives at Sieur d'Arques, and several cooperatives.
[5] Pinot noir had gained some recognition and popularity among American consumers, in large part due to a conceit in the 2004 independent film Sideways that it was superior to Merlot wine.