Superior Court Dismisses Arsenic Lawsuit Against California Winemakers

The suit claimed that winemakers were violating labeling laws

After high levels of arsenic were found in several bottles of red wine across the country lawsuits were brought against several California winemakers. This week, a California Court dismissed the suits against 83 wine brands, reports Wine Spectator. The claims have been ongoing over the past year as plaintiffs accused the wineries of being in violation of labeling laws in California. In response, The California Wine Institute released a statement that suggested the lawsuit was "an unfounded claim that trace amounts of arsenic in wine pose a health threat to consumers."

The institute's statement also noted: "We are concerned that the irresponsible publicity campaign by the litigating party could scare the public into thinking that wine is not safe to consume which is patently untrue."

In his decision, Judge Shepard Wiley wrote, "The wine producers correctly argue that their existing Prop. 65 warnings comply with the Prop. 65 regulatory program." His decision was met with praise from California winemakers who were happy to have the issue behind them. A representative for Treasure Wine Estates — one of the vineyards named in the suit — stated, "We are delighted that the Los Angeles Superior Court has confirmed that the plaintiffs' claims of 'failure to warn of trace levels of arsenic in wine' have no legal merit and was — quite frankly — absurd."

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