The potential payout would exceed a third of Pernod Ricard’s annual profit as it faces mounting legal and regulatory pressure in its largest market by volume. Read More
Crime
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
The chairman of Wuliangye, China’s second-largest baijiu producer, is under investigation for suspected serious violations of discipline and law, Chinese authorities said. 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
Smugglers used “water mules” to move high-tariff wine and spirits across the Macau border as trade policies widened price gaps. Read More
A bottle of Krug Clos d’Ambonnay 2002 — one of the world’s rarest Champagnes — turned a candlelit dinner in Hong Kong’s Central district into an HK$84,000 (US$10,760) nightmare. Read More
South Korean customs authorities say international drug traffickers are disguising narcotics as everyday consumer goods — including wine — as part of increasingly sophisticated smuggling operations into Asia. Read More
Chinese police have busted more than 540 criminal cases involving counterfeit “special supply liquor,” seizing 260,000 bottles worth 3.7 billion yuan (US$515 million), the Ministry of Public Security said Tuesday. Read More
Australia’s bestselling brand [yellow tail] is getting a facelift, going upmarket, and cracking down on copycats in China — all in a bid to stay ahead in a cooler, more crowded market. Read More