Owner of Eldon winery where bottles exploded agrees to stop selling

The former owner of an Eldon winery where some bottles of wine were found to pose the risk of exploding has agreed to an injunction order with the state to stop selling wines - at least "until the underlying case is resolved."

Larry Owens, who owned Casa de Loco Winery in Eldon, agreed to a preliminary injunction with Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt in Benton County, court records show.

By agreeing to this injunction, Owens and Casa de Loco Winery are restrained from the manufacturing, production, advertisement or sale of alcohol. They also can't advertise, offer samples, sell, deliver or distribute any alcoholic products that have been brewed, distilled, refined, prepared, mixed, bottled or otherwise manufactured.

The Missouri Division of Alcohol and Tobacco Control issued a warning in April that six types of bottled wine manufactured by Casa de Loco may pose a danger of exploding.

Casa de Loco never submitted these wines to ATC for product brand registration, which includes review and product evaluation, as required by Missouri law, according to an ATC news release.

Owens told the News Tribune in April he was working with authorities and businesses where the wines were sold to pull the products and felt the problems were due to how the wines were stored once they left the winery.

Casa De Loco is rebranding and changing ownership, with Owens' daughter to reopen it as "Casa De Loco Reblended" in the same location in Eldon, according to a June 28 post to the winery's Facebook page.