Master of Wine .... Counterfeiting that is!

I am intrigued by crime stories. You know the ones on Dateline, 48 hours, American Greed, etc. Pair crime with wine and I can’t turn away. If you are similar and don’t know the story of Rudy Kurniawan, you’re in for a treat. Rudy exploded on the ultra collectible wine scene in the early 2000’s, often spending a million dollars a month at big-time wine auctions. Later, he moved to the other side of the auction gavel, consigning (putting up for auction) wine from his collection at levels surpassing $10,000,000 in some auctions. He was also high rolling in the wine community, showing up at exclusive tastings sharing some of the world’s most expensive and rare bottles. He was quickly welcomed into an elite community and adored by many in fine wine circles. This guy was perhaps the first and only, Wine Baller! Here is a picture of Rudy from winespectator.com.

Well, in the end Rudy proved to be a criminal with a great palate. He took people for millions of dollars and made some “experts” look pretty foolish along the way. It is not clear if Rudy started out with a mission to defraud or if he evolved once he was in the intoxicating inner world of ultra high end wine collecting. There are many articles, TV shows, books and even a movie sharing the tale of Rudy Kurniawan. So allow us to direct you to some of our favorite content. We are exicited to read a new book detailing Rudy’s rise and fall, In Vino Duplicitas. We will share our thoughts on the book as soon as we finish it.