Cross blending fraud probe

Georges Duboeuf, the virtual inventor of Beaujolais Nouveau, has denied his company was involved in blending higher quality wines with cheaper wines.

French police investigators in the southern Burgundy city of Villefranche-surSaone have launched an investigation into alleged wrongdoing at Duboeuf's main production facility. During a routine survey of the winery to check on compliance with Appellation Controlée rules investigators allegedly found that about 700 hectolitres of Beaujolais Cru wines were being mixed with about 12,000 hectolitres of ordinary Beaujolais and Beaujolais Villages.

While specific details about the crossblending have yet to emerge, it would ...