Russia suspends sales of Armenian alcohol after quality violations

Russia’s consumer watchdog has suspended the sale of several Armenian-made alcoholic beverages after inspections revealed they failed to meet mandatory safety and quality standards.

In a statement released on Saturday, Rospotrebnadzor said the products by ZAO Vedi-Alko, Abovyan Brandy Factory LLC and Shahnazaryan Wine & Brandy House LLC were found to be noncompliant during routine market checks.

Among the items flagged were Getap Vernashen red semi-sweet wine (11% alcohol, bottled Feb. 3, 2025), Vedi Alko Hardji white dry wine from the Legends Arni series (12% alcohol, bottled Dec. 17, 2024), Armenian brandy 5 stars, a five-year-old ordinary cognac (40% alcohol, bottled Jan. 20, 2025) and Shahnazaryan XO seven-year-old brandy (40% alcohol, bottled May 16, 2025)

The watchdog said it has notified retailers and importers to halt distribution and withdraw the affected products from circulation. The agency emphasized that the situation remains under strict monitoring to prevent further sales of substandard alcohol.