Licensees warned about fake Jacob's Creek wine

Licensees in London and Brighton are being warned to look out for fake Jacob's Creek wine after hundreds of counterfeit bottles have flooded the market.

The wine is not harmful to health but is of "very low quality and substandard taste," according to brand owner Pernod Ricard.

It can be recognised by a spelling mistake on the lower back label, which is missing an "a" and reads "Wine of Austrlia."

The company was first alerted by a number of customer complaints and has since passed the matter onto Trading Standards, which has launched a criminal investigation.

The wine is being distributed through independent and wholesale retailers and although there have been no reports of the wines in pubs and bars as yet, licensees are urged to contact Trading Standards or Pernod Ricard direct if they are offered Jacob's Creek through any unofficial channels or have any suspicions about the authenticity of wine they have recently purchased.

"We urge our trade customers to be vigilant and only ever purchase their wine, spirit and Champagne stock through a Pernod Ricard representative or another official distribution channel," said Simon Thomas, deputy managing director, wine.