"Just Order the Whole Bottle"... Tourists Often Deceived by Wine "Rempoter" in Paris

Serving Cheaper Wine or Mixing Leftovers
Ordering by the Bottle Is Safer When Dining with Others

Restaurants in Paris, France, a major European tourist destination, have often been caught deceiving customers with wine, causing controversy. On the 23rd (local time), foreign media outlets including the daily Le Parisien reported that some restaurants near tourist attractions unfairly profit by serving customers cheaper wine than what they ordered when wine is ordered by the glass, filling the glasses at the bar.

Le Parisien warned that if such fraudulent activities are detected, one could face a fine of up to 300,000 euros (420 million won) and a two-year prison sentence. To avoid falling victim to such scams, it advised asking to see the bottle directly when ordering wine or, when visiting a restaurant with several people, ordering by the bottle. AP·Yonhap News

Le Parisien sent a wine sommelier disguised as a foreign tourist to a restaurant near Montmartre, and the staff served a Sauvignon white wine priced at 5.60 euros (about 7,800 won) instead of the originally ordered Chablis, which cost 8.50 euros (12,000 won). In another case, when a different sommelier pretending to be a foreigner ordered a glass of Sancerre white wine, the restaurant again served a Sauvignon white wine that was about 2 euros (about 2,800 won) cheaper.

When the sommelier pointed out to the staff that the wine appeared to be incorrect, the staff brought a glass of wine instead of the bottle, insisting that it was the wine the customer had ordered. However, the sommelier noted that it was once again the same Sauvignon variety as before. Restaurant employees interviewed by Le Parisien explained that this practice is referred to by the slang term "Rempoter." A woman who has worked in Parisian restaurants for 30 years revealed, "When it comes to wine by the glass, we pour whatever is left over so that nothing is wasted," and added, "Sometimes, we collect the leftover wine from bottles and serve it as happy hour (discount time) wine." She continued, "If you ask a sommelier, they would say it is a completely different wine, but tourists who do not know much about wine cannot tell the difference in taste, so we can serve whatever we want."

Restaurants in Paris, France, a major European tourist destination, have been causing controversy by deceiving customers with wine. On the 23rd (local time), foreign media including the daily Le Parisien reported that some restaurants near tourist spots fill glasses at the bar with cheaper wine than what customers ordered when they order wine by the glass, unfairly profiting from this practice. Reuters·Yonhap News

A man who previously worked at a bar near Montmartre also confessed, "Everyone except regulars was deceived," and added, "Especially when American tourists came to the terrace, I thought to myself, 'They are definitely going to be fooled.'" He also said that the owner often instructed staff to serve a different wine from what the customer ordered in order to avoid opening a new bottle. He explained, "If the most expensive bottle was emptied too quickly, the owner would get angry," and added, "Only once did a customer notice the trick, and that person was a sommelier."

Le Parisien warned that such fraudulent activities, if detected, can result in a fine of up to 300,000 euros (420 million won) and a two-year prison sentence. To avoid falling victim to such scams, it advised asking to see the bottle directly when ordering wine, or, when visiting a restaurant with several people, ordering wine by the bottle.