Thieves steal €5m of wine in Italy’s largest heist
Thieves have stolen €5 million worth of wine from Marchesi Antinori, a historic Tuscan winery, in what is believed to be Italy's largest wine heist. A gang of at least seven masked individuals broke into the cellar in Cortona on Saturday, disabled alarms and cameras, and used company forklifts to load 30,000 bottles into two trucks before escaping. The theft matters because of its unprecedented scale in Italy and because the stolen wine includes some of the world's most prized vintages from renowned collectors.
The stolen bottles, all from the winery's 2023 vintage, ranged in price from €120 to €400 each and included prestigious wines such as Solaia, Guado al Tasso and Tignanello. Among the haul were 3,000 bottles of Barolo Ginestra, some magnum-sized. The theft was only discovered when staff arrived on Monday morning, and the company's insurance policy does not cover such a large-scale robbery. Chief executive Renzo Cotarella told media the gang was "very prepared" and suggested the perpetrators likely had intimate knowledge of wine, with the stolen bottles probably destined for collectors, bars or restaurants.
- €5m wine haul stolen from historic Italian winery in biggest heist of its kind
- 30,000 bottles taken by seven-person gang using disabled alarms and forklifts
- Insurance doesn't cover loss; company warns customers about suspicious offers
New here? Start with this
A gang of thieves has stolen €5 million worth of wine from Marchesi Antinori, a historic Tuscan winery, in what is being called Italy's largest wine heist. The masked individuals broke into the cellar in Cortona on a Saturday, disabled security systems, and used the company's own forklifts to load 30,000 bottles into trucks before escaping undetected.
The theft matters because of both its sheer scale and the exceptional quality of what was taken. The stolen bottles from the 2023 vintage include some of the world's most sought-after wines, such as Solaia, Guado al Tasso and Tignanello, with individual bottles valued between €120 and €400. The thieves also took 3,000 bottles of Barolo Ginestra, one of Italy's most prestigious wines.
The sophistication of the heist suggests the thieves had insider knowledge of the winery's operations and layout. The perpetrators were likely targeting a specific audience of wealthy collectors, restaurants or bars willing to buy stolen wine, according to the winery's chief executive. The company discovered the theft only when staff arrived on Monday morning, and notably their insurance policy does not cover such large-scale robberies.
Americas Business Europe World
Read the full article at the source →
Originally published by The Guardian as “Thieves make off with €5m haul from prestigious Italian winery”.