Written by Nick Bartman. See our guide to Fighting fakes in China.
At the time all my discoveries to date about doctored French documentation seemed important, but later I was to discover that the importation of bottled wine was fast being superseded by a far more sophisticated and profitable process, although the common theme of Chinese link people on the ground in France would not change, and even today remains a vital piece of the jigsaw.
The day after my meeting with the Bayonne négociant, I discussed my month's Chinese tour and investigation with the French wine authority. The...