SHE thought she was taking a sip of fine French wine, sharing a toast with family and friends.
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Little did the 23-year-old woman know her glass was filled with poison.
One mouthful and the 23-year-old knew something wasn’t right.
The rancid bitterness convinced her the wine, brought by a friend to the Bowral home, was undrinkable.
A male dinner companion took a taste before reeling away and agreeing the suspicious liquid wasn’t fit for human consumption.
But before they could pop a cork on a replacement bottle, the woman started to convulse.
In a panic, they called triple-0.
Paramedics rushed in, stabilised the young woman and transferred her to Campbelltown Hospital.
Sources say initial testing confirmed the bottle of red wine tested positive for MDMA - the drug commonly referred to as ecstasy.
MDMA usually appears on the street in tablet form but can also come in liquid form.
In Australia, MDMA was declared illegal in 1986 because of its harmful effects and potential for abuse.
It is classed as a Schedule 9 prohibited substance, meaning it is available for scientific research purposes only.
Any other type of sale, use or manufacture is prohibited.
Sources say the bottle came from a box of wine delivered to a small post office in northern NSW.
It was labelled French wine.
One bottle from the box of 12 ended up on a dinner table in Bowral on Saturday, February21.
Police confirmed on Friday that they were investigating the circumstances surrounding the hospitalisation of the 23-year-old woman in Bowral around 8.30pm on Saturday.
Inspector John Klepczarek, commander of Southern Highlands Police, said the Sydney woman appeared to have digested an unknown substance that caused a severe reaction.
She was initially treated at Bowral Hospital then, due to the seriousness of her condition, transferred to Campelltown Hospital and admitted for several days.
Insp Klepczarek said police were awaiting test results on a bottle of wine.
Initial tests on the bottle showed that it might have contained drugs, he said.
Source: Illawarra Mercury