The Daily Mail is reporting the wild statistic that one in five bottles of big-brand wines sold at retailers could very well be fraudulent. In what sounds like a plot to an independent movie, local gangs are forging labels, placing them on bottles and then selling them to stores at a reduced price. Apparently this trend has been going on for quite some time, as the BBC ran a feature on this in 2011, complete with pointers on how to spot the fake bottles. [Daily Mail]

In order to better align with its core business brands, First Drinks is rebranding itself as William Grant & Sons, and looks to reposition its portfolio (Glenfiddich, Grant’s, Balvenie, Hendricks, Sailor Jerry, and Tullamore Dew) in luxury markets. As a direct result of the reorganization, the Spirits Business is reporting that William Grant also “reappraised” 30 employees from its staff, possibly because the employees weren’t preening and positioning themselves as luxurious enough. [Spirits Business]

In a recent report issued by report overlords Technomic, Americans like their wines cheap, with competition being the toughest in the $10-20 price range. The report also includes a spiffy infographic detailing some other findings. [Restaurant Hospitality]

And finally today in science news: global warming is making Shiraz less alcoholic and scientists are now reversing their position back to their original stance that too many daily drinks is not good for your heart. Oh yeah, and Chris scored a major article in Wired last week. Did you read it? If not, here’s your chance.

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