Article: China's customs inspectors target wine importers as sales of foreign vintages boom

Importers of wines and spirits are seeing sales soar as they cater to a fast-growing class of new Chinese wine connoisseurs _ but they're also attracting the attention of Chinese customs inspectors.

Shanghai customs have detained an executive of at least one major wine importer in a broad inspection of the industry.

Don St. Pierre, Jr., managing partner of ASC Fine Wines, is among those being held, his father Don St. Pierre, Sr., confirmed in an e-mail to The Associated Press.

Don St. Pierre, Sr., a Beijing-based businessman who once headed American Motors' joint venture Beijing Jeep Corp., said his son was among a number of "wine importer executives being held while ...

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