Costco recalls ‘exploding’ Prosecco bottles
Wholesaler Costco has recalled bottles of one Prosecco brand in more than 10 US states due to bottles spontaneously “shattering” even when “not handled or in use”.
Last weekend, Costco was forced to contact its members to recall bottles of Prosecco sold within a four-month window from 25 April to 26 August, 2025.
According to a memo published on Costco’s website “there is a risk of unopened [Prosecco] bottles shattering, even when not handled or in use.” The retailer urged customers not to attempt to return the bottles, and to instead “dispose of them immediately.”
The wine at the heart of the controversy is the wholesaler’s own-label Kirkland Signature Prosecco Valdobbiandene, with reports emerging of the bottles “shattering” spontaneously with little to no handling. Costco reportedly sources the wine in question from specialist Italian importer Ethica Wines in the US, which according to the company’s website uses a smart “ready to ship” inventory in Livorno, Italy, to allow “rapid and responsive” action to markets’ requests, including “doing the impossible.”
Bottles of the Kirkland Prosecco sold in 11 states including Iowa, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin, have been recalled.
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In 2021, db reported that a British consumer had urged people not to leave bottles of Prosecco in cars during hot weather. The woman said she had purchased “the priciest bottle she never got to drink” after a bottle of Prosecco exploded in her vehicle, drenching the seats and sending shards of glass ripping through the lining of the car roof. A quote to remedy the interior damage, shared on social media site TikTok, came to £2,258, including VAT, which left the customer wincing. The thicker the bottle the more pressure a sparkling wine can withstand, with some people positing that wineries making the switch to lightweight bottles may be at greater risk of their product exploding.
Kirkland conundrum
The Kirkland drinks brand has been the cause of some intrigue over the years with customers speculating that its signature spirits range are produced by some of the biggest names in the business. Kirkland Vodka, for example, has long been rumoured to be made by Grey Goose, however the Bacardi-owned company told USA Today in 2020: “No, Grey Goose Vodka does not produce nor privately label Kirkland vodka … This is a viral claim that has circled Grey Goose for many years and it’s completely false.”
The Kirkland beer brand is often brewed by contract brewers, including the likes of Deschutes Brewery and Gordon Biersch, while wine giants E. & J. Gallo Winery and Francis Ford Coppola Winery are known to produce some Kirkland Signature wines.
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