Fake Wine: A Laughing Matter?

Wine Blast with Susie and Peter

Brilliant rogues counterfeit unicorn wine, fool the establishment and laugh their way to the bank. It's good story - so good that even The Simpsons have released an episode dedicated to wine fraud. But is this just a laughing matter?

This is without doubt one of our FAVOURITE EVER Wine Blast episodes. It stars no less than Homer and Marge Simpson, Mr Burns, Waylon Smithers and Professor Frink. Together with The Simpsons co-writer Johnny LaZebnik and wine fraud expert Maureen Downey.

Fraud is an ever-bigger issue for the wine world. It's nothing new (Pliny the Elder grumbled about it in Roman times). But in the wake of notorious fraudsters like Hardy Rodenstock and Rudy Kurniawan, it has become more professional and widespread, with organised crime moving into a profitable and low-risk venture. The implications are profound, as Maureen Downey explains.

But that doesn't mean we can't have a laugh about it. So we get exclusive access to the hilarious animated world of The Simpsons to experience how they explore the theme of fake wine. Along the way we talk Robin Hood, queue-jumping, Jesus, 'cover-up' sex, how radioactivity helps detect fakes, and Peter's pants.

Thanks for tuning in. We love to hear from you so please do get in touch! Send us a voice message via Speakpipe. Or you can find contact info, together with all details from this episode, on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S6 E17 - Fake Wine: A Laughing Matter?
Instagram: @susieandpeter

Chapters

1. Fake Wine: A Laughing Matter? (00:00:00)

2. Homer speaks! (00:00:05)

3. Hello and welcome (00:00:10)

4. This is a very special episode of Wine Blast... (00:00:22)

5. Headline quotes (00:00:55)

6. We've touched on wine fraud before... (00:01:59)

7. Let's start with...The Simpsons (00:04:06)

8. The Oen Percenters uncork the Napoleon bottle (00:07:17)

9. Interview with Simpsons co-writer Johnny LaZebnik (and excerpts from Bottle Episode) (00:08:53)

10. Thoughts on Johnny LaZebnik interview (00:20:04)

11. MID-EPISODE RECAP (00:22:17)

12. Interview with wine fraud expert Maureen Downey - preface (00:22:39)

13. Maureen Downey interview (00:27:59)

14. Thoughts on Maureen Downey interview (00:41:06)

15. An authentic bottle of Gevrey-Chambertin (00:46:54)

16. FINAL SUMMARY (00:48:32)

17. Outro (00:49:04)