Nearly one million bottles of imported prosecco, proudly displayed on Costco shelves, became ticking glass grenades in American kitchens.

Story Snapshot

• Costco’s Kirkland Signature Prosecco recall ballooned to almost one million bottles due to shattering glass hazards.
• Physical injury risk, not contamination, drove the urgency—highlighting a rare recall for packaging failure.
• Regulators, retailers, and Italian importers scrambled to contain fallout and reassure consumers.
• The event signals rising scrutiny on global supply chains and stricter safety expectations for imported goods.

Shattered Expectations: Prosecco Recall Rocks American Consumers

Reports of prosecco bottles bursting without warning in homes across the Midwest stunned even seasoned retail veterans. The initial recall, announced in September 2025, covered select batches of Costco’s Kirkland Signature Valdobbiadene Prosecco DOCG. By November, after ten confirmed incidents—including one injury—the recall scope exploded to nearly one million bottles, marking one of the largest beverage recalls in recent memory. Consumers who thought they were indulging in affordable luxury instead faced sudden danger, as a simple pop could turn into a trip to the emergency room.

Nationwide Recalls on Ice Cream, Costco Wine and More to Be Aware of Right Now https://t.co/st8tHKh16h

— Elisheva (@Elisheva_Jeshua) November 18, 2025

Unlike typical food safety scares, this recall’s urgency stemmed from the glass bottle’s structural integrity. The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and Costco urged consumers not to open or even return bottles, but to dispose of them safely and contact the importer, Ethica Wines, for a refund. The shift from contamination to physical hazard set this recall apart and exposed a new fault line in consumer product safety.

Behind the Recall: Global Supply Chains and Regulatory Scrutiny

Tracing the source of the faulty bottles revealed the complexities of modern supply chains. Kirkland Signature prosecco is produced and bottled in Italy, then imported and distributed exclusively through Costco’s vast U.S. network. F&F Fine Wines International, operating as Ethica Wines, coordinated directly with the CPSC and Costco once the shattering risk became apparent. Investigators determined that certain bottles, distributed from April to August 2025, were prone to spontaneous breakage under normal storage conditions—a rare but serious defect in the world of beverages.

The recall’s expansion in November followed additional consumer reports and an injury, underscoring how rapidly evolving hazards force ongoing risk assessment. The scale and urgency of the recall drew national attention to the challenge of upholding safety standards for imported goods, even for household names like Costco and their trusted suppliers.

Watch: Costco Recalls Almost 1 Million Kirkland Prosecco Bottles

Corporate Response, Consumer Anxiety, and Industry Fallout

Costco, already familiar with managing recalls, faced mounting pressure to reassure its loyal customer base. Public notices blanketed stores and digital platforms, and Ethica Wines set up a dedicated hotline and email for refund claims. Yet, the novelty of the threat—glass shattering, not bacterial contamination—sparked confusion and anxiety among consumers.

The consequences extended far beyond temporary sales losses or refund costs. Calls grew louder for more proactive product testing, greater transparency, and perhaps even new packaging standards for imported carbonated beverages. Regulatory agencies, emboldened by public concern, signaled that heightened vigilance may become the new normal for global retailers and their suppliers.

Sources:

Prevention
iHeartRadio
Fox Business
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
Costco