Remember that So-So Bicyclette Pinot Noir You Had?

There's a really interesting wine story out there today if you hit a few internet sites that carry such things.

There has been an on-going dispute in France charging 12 growers and businessmen with selling - what we shall call 'fraudulent" - Pinot Noir to U.S.-based Gallo. Fraudulent Pinot because it wasn't 100 percent Pinot at all! The juice shipped to Gallo included smaller amounts of, much cheaper, Merlot and Syrah.

Gallo marketed the wine as Red Bicyclette, which is widely available in liquor stores and supermarkets. Gallo says that wine disappeared with the 2006 vintage and there was nothing wrong with the wine but you weren't getting what you thought was supposed to be in the bottle.

This week a French tribunal (do the French take wine seriously - a tribunal?) found the group guilty and imposed substantial fines.

Here are a couple of takes on the story from Decanter.com and wine writer Edward Deitch.

I found it interesting the European report took jabs at Gallo for not knowing any better. While Deitch, a respected media voice on wine, pointed out how this hurts France worldwide at a time they're trying to better market French wine.

But read for yourselves at the links above.

Send comment or questions to: hewitthoward@gmail.com