A SHOP owner has been prosecuted for selling fake wine.
Trading Standards officers seized 12 bottles of Blossom Hill wine during routine checks at Bargain Beers in Anlaby Road, west Hull.
Tests later revealed the liquid contained sorbic acid, a food preservative not found in the genuine wines produced by Blossom Hill. It does not pose a risk to health.
Proprietor Erkan Saribal has now been ordered to pay £2,271 in fines and costs.
Trevor Todd, assistant head of service for public protection at Hull city council, said: "A trading standards officer seized a number of bottles of wine that were found to be counterfeit.
"This prosecution shows our continued commitment to protecting the public against businesses that break the law.
"Our trading standards team work very hard to tackle those who sell counterfeit goods and put the safety of the public at risk as well as undermining reputable businesses that comply with the law by selling genuine products."
The ten bottles of pinot grigio and two bottles of sauvignon blanc were also tested by Diageo, which produces Blossom Hill wine, and found to be counterfeit.
Saribal, 27, of Benedict Road, west Hull, admitted breaching the Food Safety Act and Trade Marks Act by falsely labelling the bottles as Blossom Hill when he appeared at Hull Magistrates' Court.
The wine was seized during an inspection at the business on June 11 last year.
It was then tested by an analyst
Saribal will have to pay the money at a rate of £200 a week.
Trading standards officials say counterfeit wine is most likely to be a cheaper product poured into the bottle of a more expensive one.
Saribal was unavailable for comment.
A spokeswoman for Diageo said: "The protection of our consumers and reputation of our brands is of paramount importance to us. As such, Diageo works closely to assist all enforcement bodies as we recognise the important and valuable role they have in protecting consumers.
"Counterfeit is rarely a problem if consumers buy their products from known, reputable retailers."
