Premier Cru, Premier Fraud?

In the early 2000s, when my aspirations to own wine began to move beyond the small rack of a dozen bottles in my kitchen, a winemaker friend of mine suggested I explore the offerings of Premier Cru. A cold, nondescript wine store in the town of Emeryville across the Bay Bridge from San Francisco, Premier Cru was known for having a great selection of French and Italian wines. In 2011 it relocated to Berkeley but still what it lacked in charm or customer service, it made up for with great prices, often as much as 30% lower than the best...