The Rise and Fall of Rudy Kurniawan

In the early 2000s, Rudy Kurniawan dazzled the wine world. Young, wealthy, and endlessly generous, he poured rare Burgundy and Bordeaux at dinners like water. Collectors nicknamed him “Dr. Conti” after Domaine de la Romanée-Conti — one of the most famous names in wine. But behind the glamour was a massive counterfeit operation run out of his own home in Arcadia, California.

This episode dives deep into Rudy’s story: his mysterious background, how he gained access to elite auction houses, and the ingenious (and shocking) methods he used to fake some of the rarest bottles on earth. We’ll unravel how he fooled even top experts — and why his downfall shook the wine industry forever.