Suspected parallel trader filmed funnelling red wine into Coke bottles in Sheung Shui

Do you judge wine by the bottle it comes in? Perhaps it’s time to stop, especially if enjoying a drop in mainland China.

A short video showing a middle-aged man funnelling wine of different brands into Coca Cola bottles in Sheung Shui – a popular shopping point for parallel traders – has sparked much interest on the Interwebz.
 

 

Wine smuggler in action in Sheung Shui

Wine smuggler caught on video, preparing his wine for smuggling in Coca Cola bottles.

Posted by Lostdutch on Sunday, September 6, 2015

Shot by a Hong Kong-based Dutchman going by the name “Lostdutch”, the two-minute clip was apparently taken this Sunday, with the cheeky cameraman standing just metres away from the oblivious mixologist. 

Some commentators are convinced that the wine will be smuggled across the border into mainland China where it will be repackaged and sold as premium vintages.

Either that, or this guy’s just a wino who doesn’t mind mixing his grapes.

According to EJI, the effective tax rate on wine in China can reach up to 60 percent, comprising of a 14 percent tax on bottles or 20 percent on bulk wine, 17 percent value-added tax and 10 percent consumption tax.

Drinking out of a Coke bottle doesn’t seem so bad now, does it?
   
 


Got a tip? Send it to us at hongkong@coconuts.co.


 



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