The LCBO is recalling a product that is suspected of being a knockoff of a premium red Italian table wine.
People who bought 750-millilitre bottles of the 2006 Negrar Amarone Classico with DOC number AAA 09439731 on the neck label are asked to return the product to any LCBO location.
In exchange, they will receive an authentic 2007 and 2008 Negrar Amarone Classico, which aren't affected by the recall, or a refund.
Bottles with that DOC number are suspected of being counterfeit and not produced by the supplier, the LCBO announced Friday.
Those bottles have been pulled from shelves, says LCBO spokeswoman Linda Hapak.
Testing has revealed that the suspected counterfeit wines do not present any health or safety concerns, but lab and taste tests revealed the recalled products differ in taste profile and chemical makeup from the authentic products, the LCBO says.
"Staff discovered that some bottles returned to our stores were different from those we imported from the supplier," says George Soleas, the LCBO's senior vice-president of logistics and quality assurance. "We want to ensure that our customers have purchased the authentic product."
Bottles of 2006 Negrar Amarone Classico with a different DOC number on the neck label are authentic.
The LCBO says the bottle shape of the suspected counterfeit wine differs from that of the authentic wine.
Police are investigating the source of the suspected counterfeit wine.
