Maureen Downey has been described as the Sherlock Holmes of wine, an expert in exposing counterfeiting and fraud. I caught up with her from her home in California to talk about wine investment, auction houses, provenance, body guards, working under cover and what she calls the six Ds – death, disaster, debt, donation, divorce and despair. It’s a fascinating insight into the murkier side of the wine business.
To read more about Maureen have a look at the Wine Fraud website. You can also follow her on Instagram @moevino.
Don’t forget, Cork Talk is now available on Spotify. You can listen to this week’s episode, plus my back catalogue of interviews with some of the world’s most extraordinary wine figures.