ONE of the biggest wine scandals of the past few decades reached its final chapter in a New York court on August 7 last when Rudy Kurniawan was sentenced to 10 years in prison for selling fake wine.

A California wine collector the government has characterised as a prolific counterfeiter, who sold at least $20m (€14.9m) of fake wine, faces at least 11 years in prison on fraud charges.

A US wine merchant has been convicted of conning aficionados into paying millions for fake bottles of some of the world’s rarest vintages.