The Pinwheels, a Canadian wine line, has become the latest brand to hit the headlines over the past few weeks.
On Tuesday, the company said it would be discontinuing the pinwheel-shaped bottles in its stores.
It was the latest to be pulled from the shelves of grocery stores and other retailers across the country.
The announcement came after a year-long investigation by The Globe and Mail that found several products that it deemed “not safe” for children under age 13, including some products labeled “food coloring,” which it said had been linked to a rash of food poisoning in children.
The Pinwheel brand is part of a small number of Canadian wine brands that have been suspended or pulled from store shelves in recent months, including a number of big-name labels like Orvieto, Bordeaux, Domaine d’Or, Pinot Grigio, Côte de Lourdes, and Chateaubriand.
In a statement, Pinwheel said that while the decision to remove its products was made in the interest of “the safety of all our customers,” it also wanted to “express our sincere regret that the product that has been a cornerstone of our brand has not been allowed to remain on store shelves.”
A spokesperson for the Canadian Wine Institute, which represents the industry, said in a statement that the institute “regrets the recent decisions” by Pinwhel.
“It’s a shame for consumers who are looking for the perfect wine to enjoy with a meal, or just want to have a good time, and this is the first step towards making sure our wine brands remain safe and delicious,” said the spokesperson, who requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.
The brand’s Canadian parent company, the Royal Canin Group, said on its website that the brand was “a global leader in the supply of pinwheeled wines and spirits” that was sold through dozens of retailers, including Walmart, Costco, Target, Walmart Supercenter, and a number other national chains.
The spokesperson said that in its decision to withdraw the Pinwhels from store shelf, Royal Can in conjunction with the Canadian wine association, the Canadian Association of Wine Stores, and the Wine Marketing Association of Canada, were “in a position to ensure that the Pinwheel family of brands is not made to look like a trendsetter.”
“Pinwheel is not a trendsetting brand.
It’s just a good wine.
It represents a great tradition, it’s a Canadian family business, and it’s good to have good wine at home,” said Mark McVicar, executive vice-president of retail operations for the Royal Canadian Wine Association.
“We’re really pleased that the Canadian consumer has been able to come to the same conclusion that we have and that this is a matter of safety and health.”
In a blog post published on its site, the PinWheel brand said that it was the first Canadian brand to make a decision to discontinue its products.
“Over the past year, our company has seen a number in store closures, and we have lost several employees.
But we are confident that this will not deter the company from our mission of serving Canadian consumers the highest quality wines and spirit,” it wrote.
In January, the Wine Industry Association of Ontario announced it would suspend the sale of Pinwheelt products.
In December, the Association of Canadian Wine Stores said it had “no further comment” about the PinWheels.
And in a blogpost published on Tuesday, Canadian Wine Federation president John Kieler said that he believes it is a “mistake” for the industry to keep pinwheeling wine on store shelf in the face of the Pin Wheels recall.
“The PinWheel brand was founded on quality, and with good reason,” Kielers blog post said.
“But it appears that many consumers who bought the brand and loved its simplicity are now finding out that its quality and versatility have deteriorated in recent years.”
With files from The Canadian Press
