An author and researcher, Robin Goldstein, entered his restaurant, the “Osteria L’Intrepido” for a prestigious Wine Spectator prize, an Award of Excellence.

He sent in his fee of $250, a cover letter, the restaurant’s menu and a wine list.

Osteria L’Intrepido won the Award of Excellence, published in the August 2008 issue of the Wine Spectator magazine.

But there was just one little problem: the restaurant didn’t exist and the wine list was comprised of wines that had previously been panned by Wine Spectator critics.

Read more on the Wine Spectator awards farce…

  • Red faces at the Wine Spectator
  • Fictitious restaurant wins Wine Spectator Award of Excellence
  • Wine Spectator Restaurant Awards Exposed as a Total Farce
  • What does it take to get a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence?
  • Economists Question Real Value of Wine

The wine trails

Not one to avoid controversy, Goldstein is one of the authors of “The Wine Trials” which documents 100 wines under $15 that outscored $50-$150 wines in brown-bag blind tastings.