Wine by the Case – Episode 18: Carfaggio Chianti Classico

This week, we’re sipping on Carfaggio Chianti Classico — a single estate Italian red as bold and layered as today’s headline case: a $154 million wine fraud scandal that rocked the luxury market.

🍾 The Perfect Crime?
An international network of criminals — hailing from Russia, Italy, and France — infiltrated the world of high-end wine auctions with forgeries so good they fooled experts. Here’s how they did it:

• Forged century-old vineyard labels

• Sourced authentic aged paper and vintage corks

• Turned bargain bottles into $20,000+ “rare vintages”

Collectors spent fortunes on what turned out to be glorified two-buck chuck. The scam unraveled when one buyer popped a $40,000 “Burgundy” and found... straight-up garbage.

⚖️ The Legal Fallout
We unpack the international fraud charges, the role of organized crime, and why this might become the Southern District of New York’s next big racketeering case (yes, easier than Diddy).

💬 What You’ll Learn:

• How fake wine scams bypass auction house safeguards

• Why authentication methods failed

• What penalties these fraudsters face

🎧 Sip along and get the full breakdown here: Watch on YouTube