Romanée-Conti target of extortion plot? Who knew?

[Robin Garr]

Am I clueless? This apparently happened in 2010, there’s a book about it (Shadows in the Vineyard: The True Story of the Plot to Poison the World's Greatest Wine by Maximillian Potter), yet I don’t recall hearing a thing about it until this story turned up in National Geographic online today. Is this news to anyone else?

The Extortion Plot That Shook France's Wine Country to Its Roots
Pay up! A million euros, or you'll lose your vineyard.

“In January 2010 the co-owner and director of the Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, a fellow by the name of Monsieur Aubert de Villaine, received a note that said: Part of your vineyard has been killed, a substantial portion of the rest of the vineyard is about to be decimated unless you pay me a million euros.

“That triggered a police investigation and sting operation because the domaine is located in the heart of Burgundy. One government official referred to it as a national cathedral. In terms of its national and historical significance it's something akin to the Liberty Bell, only you can drink what it produces.”

Full author interview on National Geographic:
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news ... gn=Content

Click to order Shadows in the Vineyard from Amazon.com, with a tiny bonus going to help pay our rent if you use this link:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00GG0 ... LEHR37BKZ4

Part of your vineyard has been killed, a substantial portion of the rest of the vineyard is about to be decimated unless you pay me a million euros.

10% is not a substantial portion.

An item about this book was posted on another wine forum a week ago from a review in the Economist.

I've not read the book, but from what was posted the plot was phooey. My reply was

"For over a year he spends . . . his nights meticulously mapping every vine on the estate. . . With help from his son, he drills holes into the roots of hundreds of vines, and then kills two of them with a herbicide."


meticulously mapping -- Why? They're visible in plain site in rows.

drills holes into the roots of hundreds of vines -- Why? He'd have to go back, find the hole if it hasn't grown over and insert the herbicide, and no doubt having made his threat and had it ignored the vineyard would be guarded.

As a masterplan it seems overly complicated and stupid. A backpack filled with herbicide and a sprayer would do the job in minutes and he wouldn't have to waste a year 'meticulously mapping' and drilling tiny holes...