Lew's Fine Wines Gazette: 10 Million bottles of Spanish rosé seized

10 Million bottles of Spanish rosé seized

By Osvaldo Villar

Many of them have been sold during this summer 2018

10 Million bottles of Spanish rosé seized according to the DGCCRF (Direction General de la Concurrence, de la Consummation et de la Repression des Frauds www.economie.gouv.fr/).
More than 70.000 hectoliters (more than 10 millions rosé wine bottles) of Spanish rosé wine were sold under labels of French wine, reveal the DGCCRF in France
Spanish imports 10.000 bottles of Rosé disguised made-up into French labels and bottles. of rosé wines were made-up into French Summer Rosé Wine

The Parisian reveals on this July 9th the results of the Customs investigation on Spanish rosé wines made up in French wine.

The newspaper reveals today that 70 000 hl of Spanish rosé wines were made up with French labels, are sold under a packaging or a merchandising which can be confusing on the origin of wines. 10 Million bottles of Spanish rosé seized. At this beginning of holidays, where the consumers are particularly attracted by rosé wines, the scandal will be neutral but this serious matter will probably not disappear like a matter on the film of Harry Potter! So there is a “Lack” of French rosé wine in this summer 2018.

Of course, it is not the best period for revelations the producers from the Languedoc have been waiting for three years. Nevertheless, it will doubtless be welcomed by the production with relief. Through various more or less violent actions, the producers did not stop denouncing these practices. The Customs investigation of the frauds was very wide being not only interested in importers but also in labels, in shelf spaces of the mass-market retailing, large distribution, and finally in the restaurant owners, and wine stores.
Criminal procedures for deceit, misleading commercial practice, deceit in organized group or usurpation of quality signs are opened. The incurred punishments go of two years of prison and at least 30 000 Euros of fine.

An investigation of the Head office of French DGCCRF is a section of French Customs.

The consumption and the repression of the frauds (DGCCRF) show that millions of liters of Spanish rosé were sold for some French wine; reveal 10 million concerned bottles have been seized. Having received the alerts at the end of 2015 on unexpected labels of French Rosé wines, the DGCCRF launched a survey investigation in 2016 and 2017. Mr. Alexandre Chevallier, the assistant cabinet director of the DGCCRF explains that “these cases of monkey business with French franchised labels concern more than 70.000 hectoliters of wine “. Let be the equivalent of 10 million bottles of rosé.
A much cheaper Spanish rosé. In near an establishment check and controlled on five, the rosé presented as French was Spanish and much cheaper in reality, because in 2016 the Spanish bulk rosé was sold to 0,34 Euros/liter for 0,75 in 0,90 Euros/liter for the French rosé, according to DGCCRF and Le Parisien (http://www.leparisien.fr/economie/dix-millions-de-bouteilles-de-rose-espagnol-maquillees-en-vin-francais-08-07-2018-7812468.php) daily newspaper 22 % of the checked and Customs controlled establishments presented an anomaly of labeling. Orders of stakes in conformity, reports, fines and criminal procedures for deceit were launched by the DGCCRF.

Misleading labels with funny French flags, Castles, La Marianne etc., among the numerous guiles to deceive the consumer, we find in particular the presence of labels playing on the fuzz and vagueness. On bottles, with French flags, castles evoking the France and producers of Rosé area or still the mention ” bottling in France “, which attracts the attention it also guarantee not at all, indeed, that the wine is French. These Funniest labels of Rosé French wine were made in Spain in order to mislead and to confuse the wine lovers and buyers in the stores.

La Suite, the continuation very soon on FineWinesGazette.