Wines & spirits
For an authentic wine or spirit, buy from a wine merchant, a supermarket or directly from the producer. Never buy from an unknown website or from a street vendor.
Rely on prices, as well as the usual distribution channels. Consumers can compare prices against reliable price references (the producer’s website, reputable wine merchants, price guides).
- The quality of the glass, its colour and the depth of the bowl must be appropriate to the wine’s characteristics, such as its age, vintage and year of production, etc.
- A bottle with a flat base is rarely old.
- The absence of any defects in the bottle does not guarantee the authenticity of its contents. It is common practice in counterfeiting to reuse old or authentic bottles.
- The cap is still firmly attached and has not been pierced. A small hole may indicate that the level has been topped up using a syringe.
- The name on the capsule must match exactly the one on the label.
- To avoid any risk of the bottle having been refilled, it is best to have it opened in front of you before drinking it.
- Spelling mistakes, poor font choice, poorly reproduced colours and clumsy collaging are valuable clues for identifying a counterfeit.
- Buying a bottle without a label is 100 per cent suspicious.
New wine should always reach the neck of the bottle. A low level indicates poor storage or fraudulent filling.
Technological tools such as QR codes, holograms and microchips now make it easier to detect counterfeit products in the wine and spirits sector. It is essential to check that these tools are functioning correctly to avoid being deceived.
Purchases must be made directly
from the winery,
from a reputable wine merchant or
from an authorised online retailer.
Counterfeit goods are mainly circulated outside official channels,
via unscrupulous sellers (social media, the internet, the black market, private sales, etc.).
