China Raids Uncover More Than 50,000 Bottles of Fake Wine, Worth $14.4 Million

Raids in China’s Hebei province have uncovered more than 50,000 bottles of counterfeit wine, with a total value of $14.4 million. The haul included around $1 million worth of fake Penfolds (one of China’s most-popular imported wine brands), as well as around $865,000 of imitation Changyu wines (China’s oldest winery.)

Police were acting on a tip from an authorized Penfolds distributor, The Drinks Business reports, though the date of the raids was not disclosed. Other branded fake wines were also discovered, but their names were not released.

The seizure is the latest in a string of Chinese counterfeit Penfolds busts. In August, around 8,000 bottles were discovered in Liaoning province. In April, police seized roughly 50,000 bottles in Zhengzhou city.

Mike Clarke, CEO of Treasury Wine Estates, which owns Penfolds, spoke out on the counterfeited wines at the beginning of the year, saying: “We’re putting a stop to this. This is nonsense.” But recent busts indicate the task may be even bigger than first expected.