Episode 40
40 | Sour Grapes (Rudy Kurniawan and Wine Fraud) (hon hon hon)
Katy gets very literal this week and brings us a wine-based mystery by covering the story of Rudy Kurniawan, the first person to be charged with wine fraud in the U.S, from the 2016 documentary, "Sour Grapes." Content warning: you're really going to hate rich douchebags during this episode, but since you probably already DO... let's get into it.
It's MM's birthday (observed)! We return to France quite a bit with the documentary's hero, Laurent Ponsot, who is officially offered a hosting gig here with us (call us, Laurent). MM cannot believe no one in the wine scene verifies ANYTHING. We do not recommend taking a drink everytime she sighs in incredulity or says "oh, fuck off." This may cause BODILY HARM. Do not accept an invitation to a wine bathroom. If you're gonna do crime, PROOFREAD YO' SHIT.
Sources/Things Mentioned
- Sour Grapes documentary: https://bit.ly/2WW7Wtn
- Hollywood Jef filmography: https://bit.ly/2VppWMf
- Wine Spectator, "Where in the World Is Wine Counterfeiter Rudy Kurniawan?" (Nov. 2020): https://bit.ly/3xkgTJz
- Decanter, "U.S. deports convicted wine fraudster Rudy Kurniawan" (Apr. 2021): https://bit.ly/2VtWQej
- The New Yorker, "A True-Crime Documentary About the Con That Shook the World of Wine" (2016): https://bit.ly/3xo5kkr
- Fremont Brewing slap koozie: https://www.fremontbeertogo.com/geartogo
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MM | @truecrimewine69
Katy | @katyhoss