A court in Reims sentenced ex-winemaker Didier Chopin, 56, to prison earlier this month over his role making and selling hundreds of thousands of bottles of fake Champagne.
Chopin, from the Aisne area, was jailed for 18 months with another 30 months of prison time suspended. He was also fined €100,000, and his holding company was fined €300,000, according to French media.
However, Chopin’s lawyer confirmed to Decanter that he would appeal against the court’s ruling, as also reported by several French media outlets this week, including France Bleu.
At the recent trial, the court heard of a fraudulent scheme estimated at several million euros.
Flavourings were added to still wines sourced from France’s Archèche region and also Spain. Wines were then carbonated with carbon dioxide gas, before being passed off as genuine Champagne, the court heard.
It was reported that more than half a million bottles were produced in the scheme, which ran between 2022 and 2023, although a more precise figure wasn’t given.
News of the appeal created fresh uncertainty around the case. Chopin’s lawyer had previously argued for a suspended prison sentence, according to France 24 / Agence France Presse.
At the recent trial, regional wine body the Comité Champagne joined the prosecution as a civil party.
Following the court verdict on 2 September, Charles Goemaere, managing director at Comité Champagne, said: ‘We welcome this ruling, which severely condemns a serious attack on the common heritage of Champagne winegrowers and houses. We are determined to defend the integrity of the Champagne appellation worldwide.’
In a separate court case in July, three people were convicted in a high-profile trial regarding human trafficking of Champagne harvest workers.
The Comité Champagne also joined the prosecution as a civil party in that case, reiterating its ‘zero tolerance’ approach to offenders.
