Winemaker Denies Allegations in Colorado Winery's Lawsuit (Capital Press)
Mateusz Perkowski
December 22, 2025
‘Teeming with bugs:’ Washington winery accused of unsanitary practices
A Colorado winery is accusing a Washington winemaker of concealing from clients that it produced contaminated wine due to gross mismanagement and unsanitary practices.
Carboy Winery of Littleton, Colo., has filed a federal lawsuit alleging that Alexandria Nicole Cellars of Prosser., Wash., violated a contract by supplying substandard “polluted” wine and then engaging in fraud or misrepresentation by falsifying data, among other allegations.
“Due to these quality deficiencies, the majority of these wines produced by ANC are no longer commercially viable for bottling under Carboy Winery’s label and would at best need to be sold as distressed bulk wine at significantly discounted pricing, placing the value of Carboy Winery’s investment and brand reputation at risk,” the complaint said.
Ali Boyle, chief operating officer of Alexandria Nicole Cellars, said the company disputes the lawsuit’s claims, which are “without merit.” “We’ve been growing high-quality grapes and producing award-winning, small-lot wines for more than 20 years,” she said. “We take great pride in caring for our vineyard and making our wines using clean and responsible practices, and we value the trust our customers place in us.”
Boyle said the grapes and wine that ANC has supplied to Carboy Winery all comply with contractual obligations, while the lawsuit is likely motivated by the plaintiff’s finances.
Lawsuit’s allegations
According to the complaint, representatives of Carboy Winery “partially uncovered the stark reality” of unsanitary winemaking practices at Alexandria Nicole Cellars during site visits earlier this year, when they “observed wine tanks teeming with bugs, wine aging in barrels covered in mold,” and “deceased small animals being included in grape press lots.”
The plaintiff claims to have brought its quality concerns to the defendant’s attention, but has been met with “additional roadblocks,” such as “intentionally misrepresenting and withholding data,” to prevent clients from learning “the true scope of damage to thousands of gallons of their wine.”