Charlie Trotter accused of selling bogus $46K wine

CHICAGO — Award-winning chef Charlie Trotter is being sued by two New York wine collectors who say he sold them a bottle of wine for more than $46,000 that wasn't what it said on the label.

The federal lawsuit filed Thursday in Chicago accuses Trotter and one of his wine experts of duping them into buying what they thought was a magnum of 1945 Romanee-Conti from the Domaine de la Romanee-Conti winery in June 2012.

The collectors, Bekim and Ilir Frrokaj (Beh-KEEM' and ih-LEER' FRO'-kuh), say an appraisal firm concluded the bottle was counterfeit.

They are seeking damages of more than $76,000. They accuse Trotter and his company of violating Illinois consumer fraud laws.

An attorney for Trotter, John Riccione, did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment on Friday.