Energy magnate William Koch is the poster boy for fighting wine fraud. Throughout his years as a collector, he’s purchased fraudulent bottles on more than one occasion, and was implicated in what New York deemed “the biggest hoax in history.” The plight of one very rich man is now setting an example for the entire wine industry. Koch sued Internet tycoon and fellow billionaire Eric Greenberg for selling him $300,000 worth of rare, vintage wine that turned out to be sour and counterfeit, and he won! The U.S. District Court in Manhattan is awarding him $380,000 in compensatory damages — and he might receive more for punitive damages. That’s basically Monopoly money to Koch, but hey, it’s the principle that counts. This is only the beginning for this boozy crusader: “Now we have this faker,” he said. “We’re moving down our hit list of fakers.” Captain Bordeaux to the rescue. [NYM, Earlier, AP]
