RUDY KURNIAWAN & GLOBAL WINE AUCTION FRAUD THREAD (MERGED)

[Larry Stein]

Thread drift, In Post 8937, there is a photo with 3 bottles of 1943 DRC. All three have too much ullage, with one actually below the neck label. Do people actually buy bottles like that to drink or just to say that they have the bottle? If the latter, I guess I care a bit less about whether they are being scammed. I occasionally buy bottles from my birth year (1951) but not with ullage like that!

I was ITB in the 80s when such bottles were genuine. It wasn't unusual to see fills like that on older bottles of DRC and for the most part, they were just fine. That bottle of La Tâche is pushing it, however.

[Jidhin R.]

Has anyone heard what Rudy's status is, seems very vague on the information the USG provides and why we would let him stay here instead of deportation. I haven't seen any updates in the news in a while but just been curious.

[Patrick Stella]

...TODAY's ACKER HONG KONG "HOLY GRAIL" SALE...

Don,

You should correct this. As I understood looking at the catalogue, this sale took place in NY, not HK--with the caveat of allowances for how sales tend to be "virtual" these days, so I don't think it was in a central venue like a restaurant, as sales used to be.

Was there some marketing material that portrayed this as being in HK, or are you simply mistaken?

Others have been quick to comment and insinuate that a sale being in HK is a damning fact, so your false statement needs to be set right.

[Don Cornwell]

...TODAY's ACKER HONG KONG "HOLY GRAIL" SALE...

Don,

You should correct this. As I understood looking at the catalogue, this sale took place in NY, not HK--with the caveat of allowances for how sales tend to be "virtual" these days, so I don't think it was in a central venue like a restaurant, as sales used to be.

Was there some marketing material that portrayed this as being in HK, or are you simply mistaken?

Others have been quick to comment and insinuate that a sale being in HK is a damning fact, so your false statement needs to be set right.

Thank you. Yes, I will fix that .

[Don Cornwell]

Has anyone heard what Rudy's status is, seems very vague on the information the USG provides and why we would let him stay here instead of deportation. I haven't seen any updates in the news in a while but just been curious.

Jidhin

I am told that as of Friday evening Rudy was still in the ICE El Paso detention center awaiting deportation.

[Alex Valdes]

In related Rudy news, Sour Grapes is no longer on Netflix

[Dennis Borczon]

I can't wait for the sequel. Rudy goes to Hong Kong for Sour Grapes II.

[Alex Valdes]

I can't wait for the sequel. Rudy goes to Hong Kong for Sour Grapes II.

So Sour Grapes 2: Recorked

[Victor Hong]

Has anyone heard what Rudy's status is, seems very vague on the information the USG provides and why we would let him stay here instead of deportation. I haven't seen any updates in the news in a while but just been curious.

Jidhin

I am told that as of Friday evening Rudy was still in the ICE El Paso detention center awaiting deportation.

Pray that he is safe from Covid-19.

[Jonathan Grunzweig]

I can't wait for the sequel. Rudy goes to Hong Kong for Sour Grapes II.

So Sour Grapes 2: Recorked

That is hilarious, sir, well-played!

[Don Cornwell]

As disheartening as it is to see this still going on, it is a joy to watch Don at work. The pictures and then the descriptions remind me of the "Can you find the differences?" puzzles in Highlights for Children. This is Highlights for Wine Berserkers. Thank you Don for all the effort you put in to combat counterfeiting, and for the entertainment value.

David

I definitely resemble that remark , and I definitely used to like those puzzles in Highlights (which they had at my family physician's office). (You and I are dating ourselves since we remember).

[John Ammons]

As disheartening as it is to see this still going on, it is a joy to watch Don at work. The pictures and then the descriptions remind me of the "Can you find the differences?" puzzles in Highlights for Children. This is Highlights for Wine Berserkers. Thank you Don for all the effort you put in to combat counterfeiting, and for the entertainment value.

David

I definitely resemble that remark , and I definitely used to like those puzzles in Highlights (which they had at my family physician's office). (You and I are dating ourselves since we remember).

That brings back some memories. Those Highlights puzzles were a big help getting me through the waiting period in the pediatrician's office. I really liked them, but don't remember ever doing them anywhere else.

[Siun o'Connell]

I believe at the time you could not subscribe to Highlights for your home etc so thats the only place you saw them ... I used to beg for old issues.

[CJ Beazley]

I believe at the time you could not subscribe to Highlights for your home etc so thats the only place you saw them ... I used to beg for old issues.

Here’s the latest issue!

[Glen Gold]

As disheartening as it is to see this still going on, it is a joy to watch Don at work. The pictures and then the descriptions remind me of the "Can you find the differences?" puzzles in Highlights for Children. This is Highlights for Wine Berserkers. Thank you Don for all the effort you put in to combat counterfeiting, and for the entertainment value.

David

I definitely resemble that remark , and I definitely used to like those puzzles in Highlights (which they had at my family physician's office). (You and I are dating ourselves since we remember).

That brings back some memories. Those Highlights puzzles were a big help getting me through the waiting period in the pediatrician's office. I really liked them, but don't remember ever doing them anywhere else.

I was and will ever be a Goofus.

[Todd F r e n c h]

Don highlighted in another article - lots were pulled based on this thread once again

https://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2020/ ... pect-lots/

[Tom G l a s g o w]

Just got a new friend suggestion from FB, Rudy Kurniawan.

[David Glasser]

Just got a new friend suggestion from FB, Rudy Kurniawan.

Fake request?
Fake friend?
Fakebook!

[Tom G l a s g o w]

Just got a new friend suggestion from FB, Rudy Kurniawan.

Fake request?
Fake friend?
Fakebook!

Spoof account, didn’t know you could have one.

[NJBruce]

Great work, Don. Another one bites the dust!

[Don Cornwell]

Some sad news for me today. My friend André Devald, a well-known wine journalist in Copenhagen Denmark, passed away last night due to a cerebral hemorrhage. It was completely unexpected and a sad event for those of us who knew him.

André Devald

André and his frequent wine journalism partner René Langdahl Jørgensen have written extensively about counterfeit wines. They broke the story about The White Club, which was featured prominently in this thread -- which put that fraudulent scam out of business. They also wrote stories about Rudy Kurniawan and Denmark's Kristoffer Meier-Axel, the notorious wine merchant (Weinart Denmark and now Nordic Fine Wine ApS) who purchased a large volume of Kurniawan counterfeits and who was one of the four owners of Dragon 8 Auctions in Hong Kong. As you may recall, Kristoffer Meier-Axel was the principal consignor of wines for the fraudulent "Swedish Nobleman's Cellar" auction held by Dragon 8 Auctions in Hong Kong. Dragon 8 is similarly now out of business.

André will be sorely missed.

[jordan jacobs]

Sorry for your loss Don.

[Steen T Olsen]

Some sad news for me today. My friend André Devald, a well-known wine journalist in Copenhagen Denmark, passed away last night due to a cerebral hemorrhage. It was completely unexpected and a sad event for those of us who knew him.

André Devald

André and his frequent wine journalism partner René Langdahl Jørgensen have written extensively about counterfeit wines. They broke the story about The White Club, which was featured prominently in this thread -- which put that fraudulent scam out of business. They also wrote stories about Rudy Kurniawan and Denmark's Kristoffer Meier-Axel, the notorious wine merchant (Weinart Denmark and now Nordic Fine Wine ApS) who purchased a large volume of Kurniawan counterfeits and who was one of the four owners of Dragon 8 Auctions in Hong Kong. As you may recall, Kristoffer Meier-Axel was the principal consignor of wines for the fraudulent "Swedish Nobleman's Cellar" auction held by Dragon 8 Auctions in Hong Kong. Dragon 8 is similarly now out of business.

André will be sorely missed.

Oh no. This makes me really sad. And also quite a shock for my personally as André was too young to go and he was one of my teachers at the Danish Wine Academy when I took my Sommelier exam in 2015. His brilliance and knowledge were near limitless. His fight against wine fraud, with fellow Danish wine aficionado René Langdahl Jørgensen, was legendary, with great results.
Thank you for the good times at the Wine Academy and for the fantastic work you did for both the national and international wine community, André. Rest in peace.

[John Danza]

I just got this email from Acker. I'm surprised I'm still on their email list. I took care of that quickly. But I'm pretty surprised at how much business they still do, with their corruption. Perhaps there's some protection moving their auctions to Delaware?

[A. So]

I just got this email from Acker. I'm surprised I'm still on their email list. I took care of that quickly. But I'm pretty surprised at how much business they still do, with their corruption. Perhaps there's some protection moving their auctions to Delaware?

HDH moved to DE too. State sales tax reasons was my understanding.

[John Danza]

I just got this email from Acker. I'm surprised I'm still on their email list. I took care of that quickly. But I'm pretty surprised at how much business they still do, with their corruption. Perhaps there's some protection moving their auctions to Delaware?

HDH moved to DE too. State sales tax reasons was my understanding.

Makes sense. Sales taxes are getting crazy in a lot of states.