Blood Vines

We open our series in California’s fertile Central Valley to trace a vintage 1991 murder back to its unexpected source: White Zinfandel. This sugary pink wine swept the nation in the 1980s, setting off America’s rosé craze and introducing countless new drinkers to wine. But few people remember White Zin’s connection to a multi-million dollar fraud. Even fewer know it inspired a much darker crime. 

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As federal prosecutor Steve Lapham starts investigating the grape-switching scam permeating California’s vineyards, one name keeps popping up: Jack Licciardi. The long-time grape broker has a reputation for facilitating vast shipments of fruit around the state. His legendary deals could make or break a winery. But that also suggested he was perfectly positioned to mastermind a crime spree…

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The Licciardi family’s feuds, business plans, and secrets begin to unravel. Michael and Robert, the sons of grape kingpin Jack Licciardi, both yearn for more power in the family business. When Lapham’s federal investigation closes in on the Licciardis, one of them exposes the fragile loyalty holding this wine dynasty together—and sets off a chain of betrayals.

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What had been a straightforward fraud investigation takes a bloody turn. The investigators’ most important witness has been shot in the head…just a few days before he was supposed to testify in the grape fraud case. The timing doesn’t seem like a coincidence—but who did it?

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Shadowed by the murder, Michael’s federal trial in the grape-switching case begins. Anonymous letters and mismanaged funds deepen the mystery of who killed a prized witness. Suspicious of each other, Michael and Robert decide to meet and settle their differences… when something goes terribly wrong.

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Michael’s case gets a boost when Delicato Vineyards, once his main buyer, gets caught covering up mislabeled wine. Can Michael avoid jail time by proving wider misdeeds across the wine industry? Meanwhile, danger still looms on the homefront: Michael’s wife Norma receives a chilling call from Robert, whose behavior is becoming increasingly erratic, violent, and suspicious.

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Robert attempts to flee a grand jury subpoena and leads investigators into a high-speed chase across two states. His apprehension kicks off one of the most sensational murder trials of the 1990s, just as the wine fraud prosecutions begin to wrap up. But after 8 years of drama, what effect will these shocking events have on the industry—and on Jack’s legacy?

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Just when we thought we were done with our reporting, it pulled us back in. Robert calls Chris with shocking revelations.

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