Nearly one million bottles of Costco Prosecco recalled before Thanksgiving
Almost a million bottles of Kirkland Signature Valdobbiadene Prosecco DOCG have been recalled in the United States due to a risk of shattering without warning. It is not the first time Costco’s sparkling wine has made headlines for exploding bottles.
According to the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), F&F Fine Wines International, trading as Ethica Wines, has recalled about 941,400 bottles of Kirkland Signature Valdobbiadene Prosecco DOCG after receiving ten reports of bottles “breaking or shattering,” including one laceration injury.
The bottles, sold at Costco stores in twelve Midwestern states between April and August 2025, pose what the CPSC described as a “laceration hazard.” The agency advised consumers not to open the affected bottles under any circumstances. Customers should instead “carefully discard” them in household rubbish and contact Ethica Wines for a full refund.
The recall covers bottles carrying the UPC 196633883742 and Costco Item Number 1879870. Each was sold for around US$8 in Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Nebraska, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin.
Bottled risk
Federal safety officials issued the recall just days before Thanksgiving, warning that unopened bottles could “break without warning” even when untouched. The timing could not be worse for American tables preparing for their annual feast.
Costco’s guidance tells customers not to return bottles to stores “for safety reasons.” Instead, they should wrap them in paper towels, seal them in a bag and dispose of them in household waste.
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Not the first time
As reported by the drinks business in September 2025, Costco previously recalled bottles of the same Prosecco after reports that they were “spontaneously shattering” even when “not handled or in use.” At that time, the retailer issued similar instructions urging customers to dispose of the bottles immediately.
This latest incident comes amid broader discussion in the wine industry about the safety of lighter glass bottles used to reduce carbon emissions. In 2021, the drinks business reported on a British consumer whose bottle of Prosecco exploded inside her car, causing £2,258 worth of damage. Some have speculated that thinner glass can increase the risk of breakage under pressure.
Inside every bottle of sparkling wine lies up to six atmospheres of pressure – roughly three times that of a car tyre. When the balance between glass and gas falters, the results can be dramatic.
As per the CPSC, anyone injured by the shattering bottles should seek medical attention and report the incident to the agency. Costco and Ethica Wines have moved swiftly to mitigate further risk and reputational harm at a critical moment for wine sales.
According to Vinetur, the scale of the recall makes it one of the largest wine-related safety alerts in recent US history.
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