By Editorial Coulommiers
Published on
May 5, 24 at 7:06 p.m.
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There champagne house Didier Chopinsituated at Champlat-et-Boujacourtsouthwest of Reimsis at the heart of a matter of fake champagne which has shaken the profession since 2023. Justice accuses Didier Chopin of having produced and sold 1.8 million bottles of fake champagne. Indebted to the tune of 16 million eurosaccording to what is reported France Bluesix Didier Chopin companies were placed in judicial liquidation early 2024. In addition, plots of vine with an area of 1.8 hectares of winemakerlocated at Champlat-et-Boujacourtwere sold this April 25” by the Reims commercial court to the SAFER Grand-Est, the Land Development and Rural Establishment Company, for 1.8 million euros. “
The story of a deception
In 2023, a former employee of the Chopin house accuses her ex-CEO, the Marnais Didier Chopin, “of having manufactured ‘fake champagn’, based on imported wines, CO2 and liqueur”, reported again France Blue in August 2023. » A Marne winegrower is suspected of having sold thousands of bottles of fake champagne. Didier Chopin, who produces champagne in Champlat-et-Boujacourt, in Marne, and sparkling wine near Soissons, in Aisne, is accused by one of his former employees of having imported wines from Ardèche or even from Spain to add CO2 and liqueur, and pass it off as champagne. “
This former employee specified that “up to 1.8 million bottles were sold, ‘between ten and twenty euros’, in France and abroad. “
According to an employee, still cited by France Bleu, “everything was going well, until April 2022, when the banks decided to no longer follow the Chopin company. And this is where, according to her, everything changes. » The wine recipe would have changed and she assures » that from this moment, the yellow bottles are replaced by green ones, boxes of champagne corks arrive, and the drink changes appearance. “
Moreover, around twenty testimonials on the Didier Chopin house internet page express their disappointment, including this one: “Undrinkable, green in color and not sparkling, what a disappointment to celebrate my birthday with such a beverage. Not recommended, to be absolutely avoided! A shame for viticulture. » This other writes again: » Champagne bought at the wine fair. A real disaster. Cloudy champagne. Few bubbles and taste of old sparkling wine. Was good in previous years though. “
Finally, France Blue specified in 2023: “For his part, Didier Chopin, whom we contacted, did not respond to our interview requests. But to our colleagues from The union, he denounced ‘unfounded’ and ‘shameful’ accusations. “
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