Glass shards shouldn’t be part of your holiday toast, yet nearly one million bottles of Costco’s Kirkland Signature prosecco pose exactly that risk. F&F Fine Wines has recalled 941,400 bottles of their Italian sparkling wine after ten reports of spontaneous shattering—including one laceration injury that sent someone to seek medical care.
Don’t Open, Don’t Return—Dispose Immediately
Safety protocols override normal return policies for this dangerous recall.
If you bought Kirkland Signature Valdobbiadene Prosecco DOCG between April and August 2025, stop everything. The bottles—identifiable by green glass, purple foil tops, and purple labels with UPC 196633883742—must not be opened or returned to stores.
Instead, wrap unopened bottles in paper towels, seal them in bags, and toss in household trash. The Consumer Product Safety Commission warns that even handling could trigger breakage.
Twelve States, Millions of Shoppers Affected
Midwest Costco locations bore the brunt of this massive distribution failure.
The recalled bottles hit stores across:
- Iowa
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Kentucky
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Missouri
- North Dakota
- Nebraska
- Ohio
- South Dakota
- Wisconsin
At roughly eight dollars per bottle, this represents a multimillion-dollar safety failure that somehow escaped quality control for months.
Costco’s private label program, typically reliable, faces questions about how defective packaging slipped through multiple checkpoints from Italian vineyards to American warehouses. The recall announcement in November 2025 came months after the affected bottles were sold during the April-August purchase period.
Sparkling Wine’s Pressure Problem
Industry trends toward lighter bottles may compromise safety margins.
Sparkling wines carry up to six atmospheres of internal pressure—more than most car tires. Recent industry pushes toward eco-friendly lighter glass bottles create engineering challenges that apparently weren’t met here.
This isn’t prosecco’s first shattering scandal either. The combination of cost-cutting and environmental goals shouldn’t compromise basic safety, yet here we are with nearly a million bottles that somehow passed inspection.
For refunds, contact Ethica Wines at 786-810-7132 or customercare@ethicawines.com. Report any injuries through SaferProducts.gov. Until quality control catches up with cost pressures, perhaps it’s time to reconsider how the wine industry balances sustainability with consumer safety.
