Sotheby’s Subpoenaed Over Counterfeit Wine
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Sotheby’s said it received a subpoena from U.S. prosecutors probing sales of counterfeit rare wines, becoming the third auction house questioned. The probe puts a spotlight on a world of billionaires who spend more than $1,000 for a bottle of wine. Some collectors claim they were sold counterfeit wines and have sued suppliers of the vintages, including one linked to Thomas Jefferson’s private collection.
“A lot of consumers aren’t aware of the problem,” the wine director at the TriBeCa Grill, David Gordon, said. “There’s too much rare wine in the pipeline, more than what you’d think is made, and there’s no oversight.”
