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LCBO recalls suspected counterfeit wine

The LCBO is advising consumers who have purchased the 750 mL bottle of the 2006 Negrar Amarone Classico (a premium red Italian table wine) with the DOC (Denominazione d’Origine Controllata) number AAA 09439731 on the neck label to return this product to the LCBO in exchange for the 2007 and 2008 Negrar Amarone Classico or a refund. Bottles with the above DOC number are suspected of being counterfeit and not produced by the supplier.

Bottles of 2006 Negrar Amarone Classico with a different DOC number on the neck label are authentic. The bottle shape of the suspected counterfeit wine also differs from the authentic wine.  The 2007 and 2008 Negrar Amarone Classico are not affected by this recall.

“All of the 2006 Negrar Amarone Classico that we imported from the supplier and distributed through our Logistics facilities to our stores was authentic,” says Dr. George Soleas, Senior Vice President, LCBO Logistics/Quality Assurance. “Subsequently, staff discovered that some bottles returned to our stores were different from those we imported from the supplier. We want to ensure that our customers have purchased the authentic product.”

LCBO quality assurance testing has determined that the suspected counterfeit wines do not present any health and safety concerns.  However, both lab and taste tests show the suspected counterfeit products differ in taste profile and chemical makeup from the authentic product.

The LCBO has withdrawn all bottles of the 2006 Negrar Amarone Classico from its stores to determine whether there are suspected counterfeit bottles among the inventory.

The source of the suspected counterfeit bottles is currently under police investigation.