Hello! I received a bottle of wine from Chile, Casa Diego Cabernet Sauvignon 2012, but I am skeptical because there is no marks on the bottle (raised letters etc, none whatsoever) and the bottle has one label on top of the other. Is this can be a counterfeit?
Answer From Expert Roger Bohmrich MW
I can't find much information about Casa Diego, but they appear to have a standard range of Chilean varietal wines including several grades of Cabernet Sauvignon. Embossing - raised letters or designs - on the bottle do not have any connection with the authenticity of the wine. There are some regional associations which use an embossed coat of arms, but that does not apply in this case. On the other hand, one label glued on top of another is very unusual and certainly does not instill confidence. This occurs in exceptionally rare instances when, for example, the first label is printed with details in violation of U.S. regulations, or perhaps lacks mandatory information. As for the possibility of being counterfeit, this is highly unlikely since only a handful of the world's rarest (and most expensive) wines are worth faking. The Casa Diego wine is no doubt a low-priced example. Moreover, a counterfeiter would not want to raise suspicions by pasting another label onto the original one. I suggest that, after you drink the wine, you soak the bottle in warm water to try to remove both labels and see what the differences are between the two.
