Counterfeit GAN EDEN

As you may know on this board, I'm in the process of trying to start up a new winery operation, and potentially resurrecting the GAN EDEN brand name. Since a couple of years after I sold the winery facility and stopped producing GAN EDEN, while I was still selling some real GAN EDEN branded wines, counterfeits cropped up, sold out of the trunk of at least 1 car by (an) obviously unscrupulous individual(s). Obviously so, because wines were being sold of types I never produced (2000 Cabernet mevushal, when I only produced a nonmevushal), and obviously not truly under the supervision of the OU. And now, I received a call from the RCC yesterday, checking on the wine found in Livonia Glatt Market, some of which had obviously questionable labels. These are badly done matte labels, labeled GAN EDEN 2000 Cabernet Sauvignon, with white-out covering what is probably the word "mevushal". I did make a nonmevushal 2000 Cabernet Sauvignon, but the labels were glossy, and there was no white-out on them. I don't know what kind of cork these counterfeits are corked with, but the true 2000 Cab is finished with synthetic corks. Also, sales of the 2000 Cab are all accounted for, so this could not possibly be it. Also, the true 2000 Cab, as is true with all of my 2000 vintage wines, are probably oxidized beyond use for anything other than a Sherry substitute in cooking. Livonia also has some wine labeled GAN EDEN 2000 Chardonnay, according to the RCC representative. I have no idea whether it is real or counterfeit- I don't even remember whether I put out a 2000 Chardonnay, or whether I only put out a nonvintage at that time, but I'm told the labels are glossy, so it could be real. In any case, if it is real, it would be brown and oxidized as per my preceding statement, so if it isn't, one cannot trust the kashrus of it, at the very least.

It is truly flattering to be targeted by counterfeiters, but it is flattery I don't need at this time. GAN EDEN produced some spectacular wines in its time, hopefully will again, but these counterfeits are certainly in the way at a time when I'm trying to justify the existence of the brand name. Is it hurting or helping the brand? Bad wine certainly dilutes the value of a name. On the other hand, there's something special about being the only kosher brand of wine considered worthy of counterfeiting, and to my knowledge, GAN EDEN is indeed the only kosher brand to have been targeted that way. That raises the value of the brand, no? Thoughts?

Hope this all works out well for you, Craig..When we built our current house and celebrated the birth of our daughter, Samantha, (1988), we toasted with bottles of Gan Eden

Thanks! How sweet. 1988? I hope the wine was enjoyable (which wine, by the way?), and certainly hope life in that house was and has continued to be wonderful.

Thanks, Craig..According to my scribbled cellar book notes, it looks like it probably was your 1986 cab. I remember Charlie Mara raving about Gan Eden when he came back from judging a competition of Cal Cabs..We drank the wine with friends who are kosher so picking Gan Eden was a no brainer..My cellar book notes reflect that the first bottle was consumed too young..subsequent bottles rewarded the aging..

Yes, he was a judge at the American Wine Competition, Cabernet Division, 1988. And he remained a big supporter of GAN EDEN for many years. I made 3300 cases of that wine, released it at $15/bottle. After it won so many competitions. I raised the price to $18, and people balked big-time. Now, nobody cares whether a wine costs $50, $99 or $200, and 20 bucks is a drop in the bucket. You must have gotten one of the original few bottles released. I didn't even want to enter that competition. My dad, who was my sales and marketing person at the time, liked it so much that he insisted, and I wanted to age it more in bottle. So I told him if it did well, I'd release it, and if it didn't, which I expected, I'd hold it back. But it won, and I had to release it.

looks like you were both right, wine did well in competition and it certainly rewarded cellaring..Charles was my "go to" retailer back in the day before he started repping boutique wineries, and eventually moved to California and became a winemaker..I enjoy his Mara Zins and think fondly of him as I savor and sip his well made juice..have not spoken to him or seen him in years tho we did swap some notes on another board coupla years ago