Wine Forger Rudy Kurniawan Gets His Own Documentary

Tyler Coleman (or “Dr. Vino”) is suspicious of a new documentary that will trace the story of recently convicted wine criminal Rudy Kurniawan. Several major trial participants, such as winemaker Laurent Ponsot, will offer perspective on the fraudulence behind Kurniawan’s “magic cellar” for the UK production. In a story on Decanter, Director Jerry Rothwell explains that Sour Grapes, will appeal to broad audiences as it focuses on the con story (rather than on esoteric wine details) and that the film, “aims to depict a ‘collision of two worlds’ by cutting between rural Burgundian vineyards and the high-rolling lifestyle of fine wine drinkers in New York.” Though Coleman hopes it will make people more aware of good wine (other than ’45 DRC RC), he also feels the story should be “character-driven” and speak “to the larger themes of hubris, duplicity, gullibility and more. In other words, the stuff of Shakespeare more than policy issues.” [Dr. Vino]