Winegrowers outraged by €0.01 bottle of wine in French supermarket
Lidl claims labelling error but local farmers’ union says it threatens local production
The vastly reduced price label was reportedly an internal error and has been removed from shelves
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Supermarket chain Lidl has sparked outrage among winegrowers for selling a bottle of rosé wine for €0.01.
The vastly reduced price, for a 75cl bottle of Côtes-de-Gascogne rosé, was only available at the Lidl store in Sérignan (Hérault).
The usual price for the bottle is €2.99.
The supermarket said the €0.01 price was an internal labelling error, and when raised as an issue was removed from shelves.
However, labelling for the wine framed the price as part of a ‘flash sale’ for the product.
Local farmers have said they will protest if the low price returns or is used at other supermarkets in the area.
It is the latest in a series of cheap wine controversies surrounding the German supermarket chain. In September, Lidl was criticised for selling Bordeaux wine at €1.89 a bottle as part of its Foire aux Vins promotions.
‘Labelling error’ but farmers angered
Winegrowers in Hérault demanded an explanation from the supermarket chain.
“They [Lidl] started by saying it was a stock clearance, a product that was no longer listed, therefore unsellable, and that they needed to get rid of the stock,” said co-leader of the local FDSEA farming union in Hérault Jean-Pascal Peragatti to media outlet Le Figaro.
Mr Peragatti outlined the supermarket also said the price was a labelling error. “They always give us the excuse of it being an intern’s mistake,” he added, referencing previous controversies.
“They could have offered a free case for every case purchased if they wanted to clear their stock. Or even donate it to a food bank.”
Winegrowers across France have struggled in recent years due to the effects of climate change and new drinking habits, but Mr Peragatti says such cheap wine is particularly offensive in Hérault.
“The region's winegrowers are having trouble selling their wine, but if the average consumer sees a wine for €0.01, they're bound to buy that one rather than ours… [they may] perhaps then think that a wine sold for €5 is a rip-off.”
Others said the price was ‘impossible’ with labels on bottles costing around €0.03 each.
For its part, the supermarket chain told Le Figaro it was an error.
“This stock should not have been on the shelves. It should have been removed from the store, but we have an internal process for this which involves setting the price to €0,” said its communications department.
“These price updates are done remotely, and there was then a stocking error in this particular store. We immediately removed the product after the FDSEA reported it.”
