Hitler wine label offends

last updated 8 January 2015

Berlin

The German government this week complained to Italy about an Italian wine with labels that feature pictures of Nazis. Justice Minister Brigitte Zypries said the wine bottles—emblazoned with images of Hitler, Goering, and Himmler, under the words “Sieg Heil”—were “contemptible and tasteless.” Sale of the bottles is illegal in Germany, where products bearing images or slogans from the Nazi era are outlawed, but German tourists have been bringing the wine back from Italy. The bottles are part of vintner Alessandro Lunardelli’s historical figures series, which also includes labels featuring Mussolini, Napoleon, and Stalin. The German government asked Italy to probe whether the products violated European Union anti-racism rules.