Menorca wine probe: 142 bottles seized over origin

Inspectors have seized 142 bottles of wine on Menorca after a restaurant listed a mainland-made wine as a product from the island. The checks began at the restaurant on 21 September and then moved to the local distributor that supplied the bottles. They covered 105 bottles of white wine and 37 of red.

The Agrifood Control and Quality Service, part of the regional Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Natural Environment, found that the wine presented on the menu as Menorca wine had been made on the Spanish mainland.

Joan Simonet, the regional minister responsible, said protecting local products also meant acting against the unlawful use of Balearic geographical names. He said the aim was to give consumers reliable origin information and protect local producers from unfair competition.

Officials said suspected irregularities lead to further checks to establish where a product comes from and prevent it being sold with wrong information. Possible breaches found during inspections can result in administrative proceedings. Serious offences carry fines of between 3,000 and 60,000 euros.

Topics: Agriculture · Food & dining · Politics

Source: Europa Press / Mallorca.com