Police in France and Italy have dismantled a criminal syndicate responsible for trafficking counterfeit vintage wines, some of which were sold for as much as $16,000 per bottle.

Italian authorities conducted raids at 14 locations, confiscating large quantities of wine, counterfeit labels from prestigious French vineyards, and machinery used to reseal bottles, as confirmed by Europol in a statement released on Tuesday.

Europol explained that the counterfeit wine was produced in Italy, shipped to an Italian airport, and then exported globally, sold as authentic through legitimate wine merchants.

The methods used by the fraudsters were linked to an earlier case involving a Russian criminal, which had been closed in 2015, Europol added.

A 40-year-old Russian man, previously convicted for a similar wine fraud under a different alias, has been linked to the current investigation, according to a statement from French prosecutors released on Tuesday.

A French judge in Dijon has formally charged a local citizen with fraud and money laundering, while the Russian suspect is set to face the same judge for potential charges, as stated in the announcement.

The investigation was led by the French Gendarmerie, with support from Italy’s Carabinieri and the Swiss Federal Police.

Stuart George, founder of Arden Fine Wines, a London-based specialist in rare and vintage wines, noted that it is difficult to obtain precise data on wine fraud due to the secretive and deceptive nature of such crimes.

Despite the challenges in quantifying wine fraud, market demand has contributed to the rise of such illegal activities.

Stuart George explained to Dinogo that the growing demand for premium wines in the 21st century has fueled fraud, with anything of value—whether a painting or a bottle of wine—becoming a target for counterfeiters.

He also pointed out that fraudsters exploit the lack of expertise in the field to deceive buyers.

George emphasized, 'Most people cannot distinguish between real and fake. For instance, if someone has never encountered a genuine Petrus 1990 bottle, they wouldn't recognize a counterfeit if they saw one.'

He suggested that enhancing expertise within the industry could be a key strategy in combating wine fraud.

George suggested that improved training and a deeper understanding of the appearance of fine wines—particularly aged bottles—would be beneficial. He emphasized that, in the end, the key factors are integrity and expertise.

In October 2020, Italian authorities dismantled a network that was producing counterfeit bottles of Sassicaia, one of the world’s most esteemed wines, which commands prices of hundreds of euros per bottle, according to Reuters.

Bolgheri Sassicaia, a renowned red wine from Tuscany's coastal region, has been a celebrated Italian wine since the 1970s, gaining international recognition for its exceptional quality.

Guardia di Finanza officials reported that the counterfeit operation involved bottling subpar Sicilian wine in a warehouse near Milan, using labels and cases carefully replicated from Bulgaria.