The Italian Eataly Was Fined $57,000 For Misleading Wine Labels

The original outposts of the restaurant/gourmet mega-grocery store — Eataly — is in trouble with the Italian government. Italian outposts of Eataly have been fined €50,000 ($57,000 USD) for mislabeling wines as sulfite-free.

According to the authorities, wines sold at Eataly locations in Italy were labeled as "vino libero," or "free" from pesticides, herbicides, and chemical preservatives. In reality, they contained small levels of chemical sulfites, although 40 percent less than the EU legally allows, according to The Local Italian news in English.

This is not the first time an Eataly location has gotten in trouble for failing to comply with wine legislation. Eataly New York's wine shop went dark after a legal squabble with the New York State Liquor Authority in 2014. It should be noted, however, that while New York's Eataly is run by the Mario Batali/Joe Bastianich empire, that the Italy outposts are not.

Eataly will be forced to change the labels on its wine bottles to "contains at least forty percent less sulphites than the legal limit," to be more transparent, as well as pay the fine.