Costco Warns Of Exploding Wine Bottles In Illinois, And 11 States

If life were more like cartoons, this would be a non-story.

In cartoons, things like exploding cigars, ACME rocket-powered skates, and those bowling-ball shaped bombs that had the fuse burning at the top were hilarious fun and never came with a product recall because the victims quickly recovered and were ready to be blown up again in a myriad of different ways.

However, since we are talking about real life in the situation with Costco's wine bottle recall involving potentially exploding bottles of Kirkland Signature Prosecco Valdobbiadene, this is definitely a story worth paying attention to, especially if you're a Costco Prosecco lover.

The Prosecco Bottles In Question Could Shatter, Burst, Or Break Even If They're Not Being Handled Or In Use

Sparkling wine drinkers are being urged not to pop bottles of Kirkland Signature Prosecco that's been recalled in Illinois and eleven other states.

Costco Wholesale announced in a letter to its members that it has recalled Kirkland Signature Prosecco Valdobbiadene:

There is a risk of unopened bottles shattering, even when not handled or in use. If you have an unopened bottle, do not open it. Dispose of the bottle immediately (do not return the item) by wrapping the unopened bottle in paper towels and placing it in a plastic bag before placing it in the garbage to avoid risk from shattered glass. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.

No reason has been given for why these bottles may have a problem, but there are a variety of reasons that a wine bottle may explode, shatter, or burst. Here are 5 possible explanations:

• Sparkling wines are carbonated on purpose; the CO₂ is trapped in the bottle and exerts high pressure. If the bottle or closure fails, it can eject the cork or shatter.
• Residual sugar and live yeast can restart fermentation. The yeast produces CO₂, pressure builds, and the bottle can burst.
• Heat causes dissolved CO₂ to come out of solution and expand. A big, rapid temperature increase (hot car, direct sun) can make pressurized bottles fail.
• Tiny flaws, thin glass, or stress points from poor manufacturing can fail under normal or slightly elevated pressure.
• Sudden temperature changes (very hot then very cold, or vice versa) can create stress in the glass and cause it to crack or explode.

Here's What You Need To Know About The Recall

The recalled private label signature Prosecco, produced in Valdobbiadene, Italy, bears the item #1879870 and was sold between April 25, 2025, and August 26, 2025.

The bottles were sold in Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Nebraska, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.

Customers with questions or concerns can contact the US based Italian wine distributor, Ethica Wines, via email or call a customer care number at 786-810-7132.