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By LELETHU ZONDANI

A good bottle of wine is often part of life’s celebrations, but how confident are we that what we’re buying is actually what the label promises? Following a recent Carte Blanche investigation into counterfeit alcohol, 041Online’s Wine Wednesday columnist Lelethu Zondani takes a closer look at the dangers of fake alcohol, what it means for South Africa’s wine industry and why consumers need to pay attention.

The business of making a quick buck has taken a sinister turn. What if the bottle you bought to celebrate a special occasion is actually a cocktail of chemicals, corruption and greed?

When did alcohol become a health hazard?

I watched the recent Carte Blanche investigation into counterfeit alcohol, and I must admit, it left me feeling rather uncomfortable. Not because I am unfamiliar with corruption in South Africa, but because it is becoming increasingly difficult to know where our vulnerability as consumers begins and where somebody else’s greed ends.

The investigation, titled What’s Your Poison?, aired on 4 October 2026. It exposed how counterfeit alcohol is finding its way into legitimate liquor stores, with allegations of bribery, compromised supply chains and illegal distilleries operating under the radar. Even more disturbing was the suggestion that authentic bottles are being replaced with cheaper, potentially toxic alternatives.

Let’s put that into perspective. We are talking about products people buy for birthdays, weddings, traditional celebrations, family gatherings and a Friday evening braai. Alcohol is woven into many of our social occasions. Yet something as ordinary as buying a bottle of spirits could potentially become a life-threatening decision.

In a country where many households are already navigating unemployment, rising living costs and financial pressure, a cheaper bottle can be tempting. Unfortunately, sometimes cheap comes with a price nobody should have to pay.

Can counterfeit alcohol actually kill you?

Yes, and this is where the conversation becomes particularly frightening.

One of the biggest dangers associated with counterfeit alcohol is methanol, an industrial chemical that is not intended for human consumption. Unlike ethanol, the alcohol found in legitimate alcoholic beverages, methanol is highly toxic.

When consumed, methanol can cause:

• Severe nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain.
• Headaches, dizziness and confusion.
• Blurred vision and permanent blindness.
• Damage to the brain, kidneys and other organs.
• Respiratory failure, coma and death.

What makes it particularly dangerous is that symptoms may not appear immediately. A person can initially feel relatively normal before serious poisoning develops hours later,

methanol poisoning can result in blindness and death, particularly when treatment is delayed.

Is any alcoholic beverage actually safe? What about wine?

As someone who follows the South African wine industry closely, I naturally wondered whether wine is somehow protected from this growing problem.

The short answer is no.

Spirits, particularly vodka, gin and whisky, are frequently targeted because they are relatively easier to counterfeit and repackage. However, wine is not untouchable.

Counterfeit wine can involve refilling genuine bottles, replacing labels, misrepresenting vintages or selling an entirely different wine under the identity of a recognized producer.

South Africa has experienced examples of this. In 2018, News24 reported on counterfeit bottles being sold under the Meerlust Rubicon name, including a vintage that the estate had never actually produced.

Fortunately, our wine industry has systems designed to protect authenticity.

The South African Wine Industry Information and Systems (SAWIS) provides a certification system through which consumers can verify the certification seal numbers on applicable South African wine bottles.

How to spot counterfeit alcohol: Don’t let a bargain blind you

Unfortunately, counterfeiters have become increasingly sophisticated. Some even reuse authentic bottles and packaging, making it difficult for consumers to identify suspicious products.

Nevertheless, there are warning signs worth looking out for:

• The smell: An unusual chemical smell, particularly something resembling nail polish remover or solvents, should raise immediate suspicion. Do not take a closer sniff to investigate.
• The acidity: If a beverage appears unusually acidic or has an unexpected chemical character, don’t drink it. Never taste a suspicious product to establish whether it is genuine.
• The colour: Murky, cloudy or unusually discoloured liquid, visible particles or sediment can indicate contamination or poor handling. A darker colour can sometimes result from adulteration or dilution with another substance, but colour alone cannot confirm this.
• The price: That expensive whisky being sold at half the retail price might seem like a fantastic bargain. But if the deal looks too good to be true, it deserves a second look.
• The seal: Check whether the bottle’s cap, security seal or tamper-evident packaging appears damaged, loose, poorly fitted or previously opened.
• The labelling: Look for differences in spelling, font, printing quality, brand logos, product descriptions and certification details. Compare the bottle with one purchased from a reputable retailer.
• The bottle filling: Pay attention to unusual fill levels, inconsistent liquid appearance and differences in packaging. Counterfeiters sometimes reuse genuine bottles, so even an authentic-looking container isn’t a guarantee.

What used to be a reason to celebrate could become a reason to mourn

South Africa has an incredible beverage industry, from our internationally recognized wines to the people who work tirelessly behind the scenes to produce, distribute and sell legitimate products.

These businesses deserve protection. Consumers deserve transparency and those responsible for putting poisonous products into circulation deserve to face the full consequences of the law.

We cannot continue normalizing a society where greed is rewarded, corruption is tolerated and the safety of ordinary people becomes negotiable.

The next time you reach for a bottle, perhaps ask yourself where it came from, who supplied it and whether you can trust what is inside.

Because a celebration should end with good memories, not a hospital visit or, worse, a funeral.

What used to be poured to celebrate life should never become the reason we lose it.

Happy Wine Wednesday kids!