Tuscany Winery Hit by Massive $5.8 Million Heist of 30,000 Rare Bottles

POLICY WIRE — Cortona, Italy — A sophisticated criminal operation has resulted in the theft of approximately 30,000 bottles of high-end Italian wine, valued at an estimated $5.8 million. The incident, which occurred at a Marchesi Antinori facility near Cortona in the province of Arezzo, is being described by the producer as the largest wine robbery in Italian history.

Chief Executive Renzo Cotarella reported that a group of at least seven individuals executed the heist on Saturday night. The perpetrators successfully neutralized the winery’s security alarms and surveillance systems before utilizing company forklifts to load two large trucks with the inventory.

Cotarella characterized the perpetrators as a highly organized gang, suggesting they may be responsible for a string of similar thefts at other Italian wineries in recent months. This includes a July incident where 3,300 bottles were taken from the Castello Banfi estate, as noted by Wine Spectator.

The stolen inventory consists entirely of 2023 vintage bottles, including prestigious labels such as Solaia, Tignanello, and Guado al Tasso. Specifically, the haul includes 10,000 bottles of Solaia, a flagship product from a year Cotarella described as exceptional.

Individual bottles from the stolen collection typically retail between 150 euros, or roughly $168, and 500 euros, approximately $560. While the theft was discovered on Monday, the company delayed public disclosure until Friday to ensure the ongoing police investigation remained uncompromised.

The Antinori family, which has operated the business for 26 generations since its founding in 1385, is now warning global clients to exercise caution regarding any wine offers originating from unofficial sales channels. Cotarella stated, We are informing our clients around the world and asking them to pay attention to any offers outside the official channels.

Local police and Carabinieri are currently reviewing evidence and surveillance footage. Despite the scale of the crime, Cotarella expressed confidence that authorities would track the shipment, noting the logistical difficulty of moving two full truckloads of wine without drawing suspicion.

This event significantly surpasses previous records for wine theft in Italy. The previous high-profile case occurred in 2017, when approximately 2,000 bottles valued at 750,000 euros, or about $840,045, were stolen from a warehouse near the Adriatic town of Cervia.

Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)