Fake Pint Noir producers found guilty

The French court case surrounding E & J Gallo's fake Pinot Noir has concluded with a guilty verdict for 12 producers and traders from the southwest of France.

According to reports in the Times online, the fraudsters made €7 million (£6 million) profit by passing off cheaper Syrah and Merlot grape varieties as Pinot Noir, which Gallo sold in the United States under the Red Bicyclette Pinot Noir brand.

The court passed suspended prison sentences and fines ranging from €3,000 to €180,000.