Scientists Found Arsenic In That Cheap Wine You're Probably Drinking

For wine lovers on a budget, it might be time to splurge a little. A class action lawsuit filed yesterday in California alleges there's something of a sour note to low-priced wine: its arsenic content.

CBS San Francisco reports Kevin Hicks, founder of analyzation lab BeverageGrades, tested 1,300 bottles of wine to better understand their contents and was dumbfounded by his results.

He'd discovered many budget wines from well-known labels contained up to five times the levels of poisonous arsenic allowed by the EPA for drinking water.

When it comes to booze, however, wineries aren't mandated to label their bottles for arsenic.

What's more, Hicks found the quantity of arsenic in each bottle notably rose as its price dropped.

Reportedly hoping to bring the findings to consumers, Hicks contacted a lawyer.

Since coming forward with his discoveries, Hicks' lawyer says his results have been verified by two other, independent labs.

Hicks should be ready for a battle, however, because he's implicating more than 24 big names in the California winery business – Trader Joe's, Cupcake and Franzia among them.

A spokesperson for The Wine Group told CBS comparing wine to standards set for water is ineffective, saying customers drink exponentially more water than alcohol.

Keep an eye on this lawsuit as it develops, because it might mean a change in the way you drink.

Citations: Your Favorite Wine Might Contain High Levels Of Deadly Arsenic, According To Lawsuit (CBS San Franciso)