Chris Walker

Just a few months earlier, the agents told him, during the fall grape harvest season, a team of them had started doing stakeouts across California's wine country.

Just a few months earlier, the agents told him, during the fall grape harvest season, a team of them had started doing stakeouts across California's wine country.

Their mission? To figure out where the fraud was happening. Was it in the field? At the winery? At the store? These agents wanted to follow grapes from vine to wine. Because as Greg Barnett, who would become the case's lead agent from the ATF remembers, these agents didn't just sit by the field twiddling their thumbs.

Their mission? To figure out where the fraud was happening. Was it in the field? At the winery? At the store? These agents wanted to follow grapes from vine to wine. Because as Greg Barnett, who would become the case's lead agent from the ATF remembers, these agents didn't just sit by the field twiddling their thumbs.

And then, after tailing the trucks, they wrote down the delivery times at each winery and reviewed the winery's paperwork.

And then, after tailing the trucks, they wrote down the delivery times at each winery and reviewed the winery's paperwork.

Gotcha. In other words, either the grape handlers or the wineries had created false documents to accompany the fruit. The wrong grapes were showing up as the right kinds in the winery's paperwork. Cheap grapes magically became more expensive ones. And that was basically it. This wasn't Enron. As far as criminal activity went, the cover-ups weren't exactly hard to track.

Gotcha. In other words, either the grape handlers or the wineries had created false documents to accompany the fruit. The wrong grapes were showing up as the right kinds in the winery's paperwork. Cheap grapes magically became more expensive ones. And that was basically it. This wasn't Enron. As far as criminal activity went, the cover-ups weren't exactly hard to track.

And one of the first things investigators noticed was that the bulk of the mislabeling seemed to involve grapes destined for bottles of white zin. Even Lapham had to admit that was amusing. Really? White zin? It seemed ironic that falsified grapes would end up in the Kool-Aid of rosés. And as he and many others around the case agreed...

And one of the first things investigators noticed was that the bulk of the mislabeling seemed to involve grapes destined for bottles of white zin. Even Lapham had to admit that was amusing. Really? White zin? It seemed ironic that falsified grapes would end up in the Kool-Aid of rosés. And as he and many others around the case agreed...

But the thing that wasn't so amusing? The scale of the fraud. Over just a few weeks in 1988, state agents had tracked multiple shipments, each with hundreds of tons of mislabeled grapes, to numerous wineries, including well-known brands like Sebastiani Vineyards, Charles Krug, and Robert Mondavi. That was a staggering amount of fruit.

But the thing that wasn't so amusing? The scale of the fraud. Over just a few weeks in 1988, state agents had tracked multiple shipments, each with hundreds of tons of mislabeled grapes, to numerous wineries, including well-known brands like Sebastiani Vineyards, Charles Krug, and Robert Mondavi. That was a staggering amount of fruit.

You see, one ton of grapes can produce 150 gallons of wine or nearly 750 bottles. So every delivery with hundreds of tons of mislabeled grapes might produce hundreds of thousands of bottles. Did the wineries know they were making so much wine with the wrong grapes? Lapham and Barnett weren't yet sure.

You see, one ton of grapes can produce 150 gallons of wine or nearly 750 bottles. So every delivery with hundreds of tons of mislabeled grapes might produce hundreds of thousands of bottles. Did the wineries know they were making so much wine with the wrong grapes? Lapham and Barnett weren't yet sure.

But based on evidence they gathered, there was one name that kept popping up, a family operation they needed to check out. Given his popularity, pretty much every big winery was now producing white Zinfandel. And from the state agent's stakeouts, it appeared some of them were making wine with falsified grapes, including the nation's 10th largest winery, Delicato Vineyards.

But based on evidence they gathered, there was one name that kept popping up, a family operation they needed to check out. Given his popularity, pretty much every big winery was now producing white Zinfandel. And from the state agent's stakeouts, it appeared some of them were making wine with falsified grapes, including the nation's 10th largest winery, Delicato Vineyards.

And it was through Delicato that Lapham and Barnett found a potential lead in their case. Almost all of Delicato's grapes, mislabeled or not, were being delivered through one company.

And it was through Delicato that Lapham and Barnett found a potential lead in their case. Almost all of Delicato's grapes, mislabeled or not, were being delivered through one company.

Michael Licciardi. This was the representative for Corvette Company, a young guy in his 30s with black hair and blue-green eyes. At Delicato, he helped coordinate shipments of grapes into the winery compound, personally overseeing their deliveries. Did Michael have a hand in any fraudulent grape shipments? Lapham and Barnett pinned him as a suspect.

Michael Licciardi. This was the representative for Corvette Company, a young guy in his 30s with black hair and blue-green eyes. At Delicato, he helped coordinate shipments of grapes into the winery compound, personally overseeing their deliveries. Did Michael have a hand in any fraudulent grape shipments? Lapham and Barnett pinned him as a suspect.