Here in this explainer, we break down what is known in the criminal investigation into Lady Penguin's company and what remains unclear. Read More
Crime
China’s biggest wine influencer built a six-million-follower empire that once sold RMB 350 million worth of wine a year. Now, the company behind Lady Penguin is heading to court over alleged smuggling. Read More
Huang Siming, the most powerful official heading Ningxia's expanding wine industry, has been abruptly removed from his post and placed under investigation. Read More
A flashy Chinese hedge fund firm once celebrated as part of the country’s elite “100 billion yuan club” has landed in hot water over a bizarre wine-smuggling scheme involving Hong Kong warehouses, underground border runners and dodged taxes. Read More
A British man has been sentenced to 10 years in prison in New York over a US$97 million fine wine investment fraud that ensnared investors globally including at least 10 victims in Hong Kong. Read More
Chinese authorities have dismantled a major counterfeit baijiu operation that sold fake “vintage” versions of top brands through livestreaming platforms, with the case valued at about 260 million yuan (US$36 million). Read More
Italian authorities have seized about 2.5 million litres of falsely certified wine, valued at more than €4 million ($4.3 million), in a nationwide crackdown on fraud in the country’s wine sector. Read More
Treasury Wine Estates has scored a major courtroom victory in China, winning more than $10 million in damages after a years-long fight against a wine brand accused of mimicking its iconic Penfolds label. Read More
A massive cross-border booze smuggling ring has been busted in southern China after authorities seized more than half a million bottles of wine and premium spirits worth over RMB 575 million (US$80 million). Read More
A baijiu distributor in northern China says he was beaten and left hospitalised after confronting a state-owned liquor boss over an unpaid bill worth about US$110,000. Read More