Swiss Winemaker Sentenced for Selling Foreign Wine Under Local Label

Cédric Flaction, a winemaker from Valais, has been handed a 45-month prison sentence by the Valais Cantonal Court on appeal. The ruling increases his original 42-month sentence, handed down in 2024, after he was found guilty of large-scale wine fraud.

The court confirmed Flaction’s conviction for fraud against the Valais AOC, as well as for unfair management, forgery, and instigating forgery.

Between 2009 and 2015, Flaction acquired over 730,000 litres of Spanish wine and 130,000 litres of wine from Schaffhausen through two German suppliers. To cover up these purchases, he issued false invoices for cellar services, bottling, and consulting. The foreign wines were then blended with local vintages and sold under the prestigious Valais AOC label.

During the appeal trial in July, prosecutors demanded a five-year prison term, while Flaction’s defence argued for a fully suspended sentence.

The court ultimately opted for a tougher penalty, citing the scale and seriousness of the deception.