As reported by VINO JOY NEWS, a wedding banquet in  Shandong province has led police to uncover a whopping haul of RMB 300 million (US$46.5 million) worth of counterfeit Bordeaux wines churned out by a Chinese company that went as so far to fabricate a fictitious war with Château Lafite Rothschild for its Bordeaux estate’s back story.

Searches in news indicate the scale and value of the fake Bordeaux wines involved in the case is the biggest yet reported in China ever since the renowned French wine region successfully obtained a Geographic Indication (GI) recognition in the Chinese market in 2012.  

The wines (10 cases) were purchased by a groom who intended to serve the wines at his wedding banquet through a WeChat contact for a total of RMB 3000 (US$465). Suspicion was raised after guests at the banquet questioned the wine’s authenticity.

This led police in Shandong to uncover 13,000 cases of counterfeit Bordeaux wines worth over RMB 300 million, according to local media reports.

Despite bearing Chinese sounding name Shunyilifei (shuyi lifei), the wine advertised on its front and back labels that it is made from Bordeaux and distributed by a Chinese company in Shanghai but Wine Searcher showed no results of the wine.  

Its alcohol level is labelled as 16.8% abv, higher than most Bordeaux, as a way to pander to Baijiu-loving drinkers.

Scanning of its back label QR code suggests the wine’s recommended retail price is RMB 6800 (US$1053) per bottle, but after “steep discounts” and “limited time offer”, the victim got the wine for a mere fraction of just RMB 50 (US$7.7) a bottle.

Its actual maker Shandong Shunyi Wine Company went so far as to lend legitimacy to the fakes by fabricating a fictitious war with Bordeaux first growth Château Lafite Rothschild and coming up with a fictional founder, Baron Shunyi.

According to its Chinese website, it says Chateau Shunyilifei was originally founded in France in 1758 by the fourth-generation member of J.D. Segur family, Baron Shunyi, after he triumphantly acquired 15 ha of top quality vineyards in a war with Château Lafite Rothschild in 1755.