110. True Wine Crime - Counterfeit Yellow Tail and the Global Fake Wine Trade
Wine Educate: Wine Lessons, Travel & WSET Study PrepShow Notes
Episode 110: True Wine Crime - Counterfeit Yellow Tail and the Global Fake Wine Trade Host: Joanne Close Episode Length: 13 minutes 10 seconds Release Date: May 7th 2026 Join the Wine Educate Newsletter Get wine tips, episode updates, and exclusive content delivered to your inbox. Subscribe at https://mailchi.mp/6648859973ba/newsletter Episode Description Wine fraud is not just about rare bottles and billionaire collectors. This episode kicks off the True Wine Crime series that newsletter subscribers voted for, and Joanne starts with a story that is equal parts fascinating and unsettling: the global counterfeiting of Yellow Tail, one of the most recognisable wine brands in the world. Yellow Tail was never trying to be anything other than what it is. An everyday, fruit-forward, widely exported Australian wine that twelve million cases of are sold annually across more than fifty countries. It is precisely those qualities, the brand recognition, the accessible price point, the easy-to-replicate style, that made it such an attractive target. When China imposed a 218% tariff on Australian wine in 2020 and exports dropped by over 90% between 2021 and 2023, organised criminal networks spotted a gap in the market and moved into it quickly and efficiently. Joanne walks through the economics of the fraud in detail, from the cost of bulk wine and fake packaging through to the profit margins per bottle and the scale of production across multiple warehouses. She also covers how the counterfeiting spread from China to the UK, how it was eventually detected, and what Yellow Tail has done in response. The lesson at the end of this episode applies well beyond the brand at the centre of it. What You'll Learn in This Episode What Yellow Tail Is and Why It Matters How Yellow Tail was created by the Casella family in Australia in the early 2000s Why it was built for export and never intended to be a premium terroir-driven wine The scale of the brand: twelve million cases annually, sold in over fifty countries Where Yellow Tail is produced: Australia's South East zone, specifically the Riverina region, warm irrigated high-yield vineyards producing high-volume everyday wines The China Tariff and the Gap It Created Why China accounted for approximately 40% of Australia's wine export value at its peak How a 218% tariff imposed by China made Australian wine effectively uncompetitive overnight The scale of the collapse: exports dropped over 90% between 2021 and 2023 Why high brand recognition combined with sudden scarcity created a significant counterfeiting opportunity How the Counterfeit Operation Worked Why organised criminal networks already experienced in counterfeiting luxury goods, spirits, and cosmetics were well positioned to pivot to wine The scale of the operation: large warehouse facilities with bottling lines, labelling stations, and teams of workers producing thousands of bottles Why Yellow Tail was an ideal target: globally recognised brand, easy-to-replicate style, low-end price point reducing consumer suspicion The Economics of the Fraud Bulk wine cost: approximately 50 cents to one dollar per bottle Packaging cost: approximately one to two dollars per bottle for fake bottle, label, and cork Total cost per bottle: two to three dollars Resale price: approximately eight to twelve dollars per bottle Estimated profit per bottle: five to nine dollars At 50,000 bottles: estimated profit of 250,000 to 450,000 dollars Multiple production sites running simultaneously: millions of dollars annually How Far It Spread The fraud was not isolated to China UK incidents: Birmingham in February 2021 and a larger operation in May 2025 The 2025 UK case: one criminal network invested 500,000 pounds in high-quality printers and label replication Coordinated operations across Asia and Europe Tens of thousands of bottles seized in raids, likely representing a fraction of total production How It Was Detected and What Happene
More from Wine Educate: Wine Lessons, Travel & WSET Study Prep
134. Australian Wine Regions for WSET Level 2 Students: Part 1 - Hunter Valley, Yarra Valley, Mornington Peninsula Host: Joanne Close Episode Length: 10:32 Release Date: October 20, 2026 Join the Wine Educate Newsletter Get wine tips, episode updates, and exclusive content delivered to your inbox. Subscribe at https://mailchi.mp/6648859973ba/newsletter Level 2 Mock Exam Bundle If you are preparing for your WSET Level 2 exam, the Mock Exam Bundle lets you practise with exam-style questions that cover the regions, grapes and wine styles you need to know, including Australia. Working through timed mock exams shows you where the gaps are before exam day, so you can focus your study where it counts. https://joanne-close.mykajabi.com/offers/xeXeiyop/checkout Episode Description Australia doesn't get its own chapter in the WSET Level 2 book. Its regions are scattered across the grape chapters, which makes the country hard to piece together. This is the first of three episodes that put modern Australian wine in one place, starting with Hunter Valley in New South Wales and two cool-climate regions near Melbourne, Yarra Valley and Mornington Peninsula. Joanne explains why Hunter Valley Semillon works in a warm, humid climate, and why it can taste like it was oak aged after ten years in bottle even though it never touched a barrel. She also contrasts Hunter Valley Shiraz with the fuller Barossa style. Then she heads south toward Melbourne, where five degrees of latitude makes a big difference. She covers how elevation cools the Yarra Valley and how the sea cools the Mornington Peninsula, and why both regions are known for Pinot Noir and cool climate Chardonnay. What You'll Learn in This Episode Hunter Valley, New South Wales Why the Hunter Valley is called Sydney's backyard, about two hours north of the city, with a strong wine tourism scene How big it is: about 2,600 hectares under vine, less than half the size of Chablis How it escaped phylloxera, so some old vines still grow on their original rootstocks James Busby's role in bringing vines from France The two key grapes, Semillon and Shiraz Hunter Valley Semillon Why thin-skinned Semillon faces fungal disease risk in a warm, humid climate with harvest rain How early harvesting avoids that problem and gives light body, high acidity and 10 to 11.5% alcohol How it changes with age: subtle lemon and citrus when young, then toast, honey and nut after 10 or more years in bottle, with no oak Why it's so hard to find outside Australia, since most premium production is drunk at home Hunter Valley Shiraz vs Barossa Shiraz Hunter Valley Shiraz: medium body, red and dark fruit, savoury flavours with age Barossa Shiraz: a fuller-bodied style The Latitude Shift From Sydney to Melbourne Hunter Valley sits at about 33 degrees south, and Yarra and Mornington Peninsula at about 38 degrees Five degrees is about 345 miles, roughly the distance from Naples to Verona Yarra Valley, Victoria About an hour east of Melbourne, with around 2,800 hectares planted Elevation up to about 400 metres as the main cooling influence Its history: commercial wine production stopped by 1921, most vineyards were pasture by 1937, and the region revived with post-war European migration Key grapes: Pinot Noir and cool climate Chardonnay Mornington Peninsula, Victoria About an hour and a half south of Melbourne, just under 1,000 hectares, about one-sixth the size of Chablis No vineyard more than 7 kilometres from the sea, with maritime breezes moderating summer temperatures How the modern industry took off in the 1970s with Melbourne's demand for premium dry table wines Key grapes: Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Gris Episode Highlights and Quotes "But then something magical happens in the bottle." "This is Sydney's backyard." "Drink all the good stuff. That's fine." Quick Reference: Hunter Valley, Yarra Valley and Mornington Peninsula Hunter Valley Yarra Valley Mornington Peninsula
Episode 133: Syrah/Shiraz Grape Guide - Same Grape, Different Names: Styles, Regions and Winemaking for WSET Level 2 Host: Joanne Close Episode Length: 10:33 Release Date: October 13, 2026 Join the Wine Educate Newsletter Get wine tips, episode updates, and exclusive content delivered to your inbox. Subscribe at https://mailchi.mp/6648859973ba/newsletter Level 2 Mock Exam Bundle Syrah and Shiraz show up all over the WSET Level 2 exam, from Barossa Valley and Hunter Valley to the Northern Rhône and the blends of Southern France. The Level 2 Mock Exam Bundle gives you realistic practice questions in the same format as the real exam, so you can find your weak spots before exam day and walk in feeling prepared. https://joanne-close.mykajabi.com/offers/xeXeiyop/checkout Related Episodes This episode touches on the Rhône, the Languedoc and the earlier Australian history episodes. If you want to go deeper, these pair well with it: Episode 78 - The Languedoc Episode 81 - The Rhône Wine Laws Episode 82 - The Northern Rhône, Part 1: Côte-Rôtie, Condrieu & Château Grillet Episode 83 - The Northern Rhône, Part 2: Saint-Joseph, Hermitage, Crozes-Hermitage & Cornas Episode 84 - The Southern Rhône Episode 85 - Exploring Five Key Southern Rhône Crus: Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Gigondas, Vacqueyras, Lirac, and Tavel Episode 131 - Australian Wine History: The Convicts Who Planted Australia's First Vines and the Wine Nerd Who Laid the Foundations Episode 132 - Australian Wine History - Why a "New World" Country Has Some of the World's Oldest Vines Episode Description The Australian wine series has reached the grape at its center. This episode is a full grape guide to Syrah/Shiraz, and it starts with a question students ask all the time: why does Australia call it Shiraz when most of the world calls it Syrah? Joanne explains the old theory that the grape came from the city of Shiraz in Persia, how that theory was circulating when James Busby collected his vines in 1831, and why Shiraz became the name that stuck in Australia. She then covers what DNA testing in 1998 revealed about where Syrah actually comes from. From there, Joanne covers the WSET Level 2 essentials: grape characteristics, how moderate and warm climates change the style in the glass, and what oak and bottle age add. She covers the three Australian regions you need to know for Level 2 (Barossa Valley, Hunter Valley and South Eastern Australia) and then heads back to France for the Northern Rhône, the Languedoc's shift from bulk wine to quality, and the role Syrah plays in Southern French blends, including at her family's vineyard, Château Camplazens. What You'll Learn in This Episode Why Australia Calls It Shiraz The theory that Syrah originated in the city of Shiraz in Persia, modern-day Iran James Busby's 1831 vine-collecting expedition and Syrah's arrival in Australia in 1832 The early names and spellings, including Hermitage, a nod to the Northern Rhône vines Busby collected Why Shiraz became Australia's preferred name What DNA Revealed Parentage established in 1998 through DNA fingerprinting Syrah's parents: Mondeuse Blanche, a white grape, and Dureza, a black grape Syrah is French, originating in southeastern France, not Persia Grape Characteristics (WSET Level 2) Small berries with thick skins, producing deeply colored wines Medium to high tannins and acidity Blackberry, black cherry and distinctive black pepper Climate and Style Syrah prefers warm to moderate climates and does not do well in cool climates Moderate climates (Northern Rhône, cooler sites in Victoria): medium body, fresh black fruit, more pronounced pepper Warm climates (Barossa Valley, Languedoc, Napa Valley): full body, cooked or stewed black fruit, licorice, higher alcohol, riper tannins Winemaking and Maturation Oak aging is common and helps soften tannins Oak adds smoke, spice, vanilla and coffee With bottle age: dried fruit, leather, meat and earth Australia's Key Sh
Episode 132: Australian Wine History - Why a "New World" Country Has Some of the World's Oldest Vines Host: Joanne Close Episode Length: [Insert Duration] Release Date: October 6, 2026 Join the Wine Educate Newsletter Get wine tips, episode updates, and exclusive content delivered to your inbox. Subscribe at https://mailchi.mp/6648859973ba/newsletter Level 2 Mock Exam Bundle Barossa Shiraz and Eden and Clare Valley Riesling are classic Australian wines that come up on the WSET Level 2 exam. The Level 2 Mock Exam Bundle gives you realistic practice questions in the same format as the real exam, so you can find your weak spots before exam day and walk in feeling prepared. https://joanne-close.mykajabi.com/offers/xeXeiyop/checkout Episode Description In part two of the Australian wine history series, Joanne follows the vines as they spread out from New South Wales. Australia is roughly the size of the United States, so this part of the story reads more like a migration map: wherever people settled, vines went with them. In Victoria, the 1851 gold rush grew the population sixfold in a decade and created something every wine industry needs, which is customers. In South Australia, a free settler colony attracted farmers, tradespeople and families, including German settlers who brought their viticultural knowledge and their vines. That is why Riesling grows in the Eden and Clare Valleys today. Joanne also tells the story of how the Barossa got its name, typo and all. Then phylloxera arrives. Joanne explains what this tiny insect does to vine roots, why Victoria's wine industry slumped when it hit, and how South Australia's early vine protection laws kept the insect out completely. The result is that a country we've long called "New World" still has 19th century vines in the ground. These vines are now protected by the Barossa Old Vine Charter, and many of them are planted to Shiraz. What You'll Learn in This Episode How Vines Spread Across Australia Why the distances between Australian wine regions matter, from Sydney to Melbourne to Adelaide How the spread of vines followed patterns of settlement and immigration Victoria and the Gold Rush Victoria becoming a separate colony from New South Wales in 1851 How the gold rush increased the population sixfold between 1851 and 1861 Why consumer demand has such a big influence on the wine industry South Australia and the German Settlers Why South Australia was founded in 1836 as a free settler colony rather than a penal colony Vines planted near Adelaide by 1837 How German settlers brought their agricultural traditions, viticultural knowledge and grapevines Why Riesling is grown in the Eden and Clare Valleys How the Barossa was named after a battle in Spain, and the spelling mistake that stuck Phylloxera in Europe and Australia What phylloxera is and how it damages the roots of Vitis vinifera The identification of phylloxera in 1868 as European vineyards were devastated South Australia's strict vine protection legislation in 1874, passed before phylloxera reached Australia Phylloxera's discovery in Victoria in 1877 and the slump that followed as the gold ran out The Barossa Old Vine Charter Why South Australia remains phylloxera free The 2009 Barossa Old Vine Charter and its four categories of old vines Why so many of these ancient vines are Shiraz, the grape James Busby brought from France Episode Highlights and Quotes "The gold rush doesn't just create miners, it creates towns, wealth, restaurants, hotels, agriculture, and most importantly for wine producers, customers." "This, friend, is why we have Riesling in the Eden and Clare Valleys." "They survived economic booms and busts. They survived changes in wine fashion, generations of growers, and crucially, they survived phylloxera because it never reached them." Australian Wine History Quick Reference 1836: South Australia established as a free settler colony 1837: Vines being planted near Adelaid
Episode 131: Australian Wine History: The Convicts Who Planted Australia's First Vines and the Wine Nerd Who Laid the Foundations Host: Joanne Close Episode Length: 10:28 Release Date: September 29, 2026 Join the Wine Educate Newsletter Get wine tips, episode updates, and exclusive content delivered to your inbox. Subscribe at https://mailchi.mp/6648859973ba/newsletter Level 2 Mock Exam Bundle Australia comes up again and again on the WSET Level 2 exam, from Hunter Valley Semillon to Barossa Shiraz. The Level 2 Mock Exam Bundle gives you realistic practice questions in the same format as the real exam, so you can find your weak spots before exam day and walk in feeling prepared. https://joanne-close.mykajabi.com/offers/xeXeiyop/checkout Episode Description This episode kicks off a new series on Australian wine, and Joanne starts at the very beginning. To really understand why Australia grows the grapes it does and makes the styles it makes, you need to know how vines got there in the first place. That story starts in 1788 with the First Fleet, a group of 11 ships carrying convicts, sailors, administrators and their families from England to establish a new settlement. Joanne explains why grapevines were packed alongside food crops and livestock, how the fleet collected vines on stops in Rio de Janeiro and the Cape of Good Hope, and why those first plantings around Sydney Cove mostly failed. Then she introduces James Busby, who she calls Australia's first wine nerd. His trip through France and Spain brought back thousands of cuttings, including Semillon and Syrah taken straight from the northern Rhône, and helped turn the Hunter Valley into a serious wine region. Along the way, Joanne also looks at why many wine educators are moving away from the terms Old World and New World, and why Australian wine history makes that case so clearly. If you are studying for WSET Level 2 or Level 3, this history gives you a framework that makes Australian regions and grapes much easier to remember. What You'll Learn in This Episode Why "Old World" and "New World" Are Being Phased Out How these terms have traditionally been used in wine education Why organizations like the Court of Master Sommeliers have dropped them, citing historical accuracy, cultural bias and blurring stylistic differences How Australia's history challenges the idea of a "new" wine country The First Fleet and Australia's First Vines Why England sent convicts to Australia after the American colonies rebelled The 11 ships that left Portsmouth on May 13, 1787, with around 750 convicts plus mariners, administrators and families Why the grapevine was considered essential for building a European-style agricultural society Vines picked up in Brazil and South Africa, likely including Chenin Blanc, Semillon and Muscat varieties The move from Botany Bay to Sydney Cove in Port Jackson, where the first vines were planted Early Struggles Around 8,000 vines planted by 1791 Why these early efforts largely failed without any viticultural expertise on board James Busby: Australia's First Wine Nerd His background in Edinburgh and his family's move to New South Wales Studying wine in France and writing a book about wine at age 24 Receiving land in the Hunter Valley and becoming the de facto wine expert His return trip to Europe and the thousands of cuttings he brought back from top vineyard sites in France and Spain Introducing Semillon to the Hunter Valley and Syrah (Shiraz) from the northern Rhône Setting Up the Rest of the Series How vines spread from New South Wales into Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania A preview of how phylloxera changed the significance of Australia's vineyards Episode Highlights and Quotes "Europeans didn't merely wanna survive. They're attempting to establish a European agricultural society." "Nobody knew what they were doing. I mean, there was no wine expert on this boat. There was no agricultural expert. They were convicts,
Episode 130: Italian White Grapes for WSET Level 2 Students: Cortese, Garganega, Verdicchio, and Fiano Host: Joanne Close Episode Length: 11:50 Release Date: September 22, 2026 Join the Wine Educate Newsletter Get wine tips, episode updates, and exclusive content delivered to your inbox. Subscribe at https://mailchi.mp/6648859973ba/newsletter Level 2 Mock Exam Bundle This episode covers all four white grapes on the WSET Level 2 syllabus, which makes it a great time to test yourself with the Mock Exam Bundle. It includes full practice exams with detailed answer explanations so you can see exactly where you stand before exam day. It is one of the most efficient ways to reinforce the grape by grape details covered in this episode. https://joanne-close.mykajabi.com/offers/xeXeiyop/checkout Episode Description Joanne wraps up the Italian grape series with a road trip through the four white grapes that show up on the WSET Level 2 syllabus, Cortese, Garganega, Verdicchio, and Fiano. Rather than treating them as a list to memorize, she takes listeners on a roughly 675 mile drive across Italy, starting in Gavi in Piedmont and ending in Avellino in Campania, stopping at each grape's home region along the way. At each stop, Joanne describes the landscape, the local food, and the style of wine, from the crisp, high acid Cortese of Gavi to the richer, riper Fiano d'Avellino grown at elevation in Campania. Along the way she covers Soave and its volcanic soil, the appassimento method behind Recioto di Soave, the fennel note that shows up in Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi, and the lees contact and oak that can shape Fiano. This episode closes out the Italian series, and Joanne previews what's coming next, a shift to the Southern Hemisphere with a full series on Australian wine, starting with the history of Australian wine next week. What You'll Learn in This Episode Cortese (Gavi, Piedmont) Dry, light bodied, high acidity Aromas and flavors of blossom, lemon, apple, and pear Usually fermented in inert vessels to preserve freshness Gavi sits only 19 miles from the Ligurian Coast and was once a key trade route town for salt Garganega (Soave, Veneto) Dry, medium bodied, high acidity Aromas and flavors of apple, pear, lemon, and peach Grown on volcanic soil around the medieval town of Soave Soave Classico can develop tertiary notes of honey and almonds Recioto di Soave DOCG is made using the appassimento method, the same drying technique used for Recioto della Valpolicella Verdicchio (Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi, Marche) Dry, high acidity, medium body Aromas and flavors of apple, pear, and lemon, plus a distinctive fennel note Elevation in the Marche helps preserve acidity despite the warmer latitude Better examples can develop tertiary notes of honey and nuts Pairs beautifully with olive all'ascolana, stuffed and fried green olives Fiano (Fiano d'Avellino, Campania) Medium acidity, medium to full bodied Riper aromas and flavors of peach, melon, and mango Grown inland at elevation, around 300 to 600 meters, giving continental and mountain influence Lees contact can add bread and biscuit character, and oak can contribute smoke Better examples develop tertiary honey notes with bottle age Local pairings include chestnuts, hazelnuts, truffles, and caciocavallo cheese Episode Highlights and Quotes "It's a little place with a surprisingly large wine reputation." "It is the most delicious peach in a glass you have ever had." "We have elevation here, altitude, which helps preserve acidity and therefore freshness in the styles of wines that are made." Quick Reference: The Four Italian White Grapes Cortese: Gavi, Piedmont. Light bodied, high acid, blossom and citrus. Garganega: Soave, Veneto. Medium bodied, high acid, apple, pear, and peach, volcanic soil. Verdicchio: Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi, Marche. High acid, medium body, apple, pear, lemon, and fennel. Fiano: Fiano d'Avellino, Campania. Medium to ful