Rospotrebnadzor detects substandard Armenian alcohol products, suspends their sale in Russia

MOSCOW. May 25 (Interfax) - Russia's Federal Service for the Oversight of Consumer Protection and Welfare (Rospotrebnadzor) has announced the suspension of the sale in Russia of Armenian alcohol products of poor quality, namely, wine and brandy made by Vedi Alco, Abovyan Brandy Factory and the Wine-Brandy House "Shahnazaryan," Rospotrebnadzor told journalists on Saturday.

"Rospotrebnadzor exercises control over goods in circulation, including alcoholic ones. The results of measures revealed products that fall short of mandatory requirements, made by Vedi Alco, Abovyan Brandy Factory and the Wine-Brandy House 'Shahnazaryan' (Armenia)," Rospotrebnadzor said.

"For the purposes of preventing the sale of the products, which fall short of mandatory requirements, retailers and importers have been informed of the suspension of the sale of the products and the withdrawal of substandard alcoholic products from circulation," Rospotrebnadzor said.

At issue are the Getap Vernashen variety red semi-sweet wine (alcohol content 11%, 0.75 l, bottled February 03, 2025), the Harji variety white dry wine, Arni Legends (alcohol content 12%, 0.75 l, bottled on December 17, 2024), all made by Vedi Alco.

Also on the blacklist is the five-year-old, five-star Armenian ordinary brandy (alcohol content 40%, 0.5 l, bottled on January 20, 2025), made by Abovyan Brandy Factory (Abovyan, Armenia). A quality breach was also detected in the seven-year-old Armenian vintage brandy Shahnazaryan XO (alcohol content 40%, 0.5 l, bottled on May 16, 2025), made by the Wine-Brandy House "Shahnazaryan" (Yeghvard, Armenia).

Earlier, Rospotrebnadzor imposed a temporary sanitary measure, suspending the import and circulation in Russia of all batches of the Armenian mineral water Jermuk after detecting excess bicarbonate ion, chlorides and sulfates in it.