Italy’s family-owned Marchesi Antinori winery, founded in 1385, says late-night thieves disabled the alarm system and stole 30,000 bottles worth $5.5 million from a warehouse in Tuscany. ‘It’s as if they knew everything,’ one official says.
One of Italy’s oldest companies says it was the victim of what may be the largest wine heist in history after masked intruders made off with about 30,000 bottles valued at roughly $5.5 million from a warehouse in Tuscany on October 3.
Marchesi Antinori, a family-owned winemaker whose history dates to 1385, said the Saturday-night break-in took place at a storage facility in Cortona, where the wine was boxed and awaiting shipment. Company officials said at least seven masked men disabled alarms and surveillance cameras, forced open a gate, and used the winery’s own forklifts to load all the cases onto two trucks.
The haul included roughly 10,000 bottles each
The haul included roughly 10,000 bottles each of Tignanello, Solaia, and Guado al Tasso from the acclaimed 2023 vintage. Solaia, for example, is a highly collectible Tuscan red that typically retails for $400 or more a bottle.
“This is a theft of unprecedented scale for the wine industry in Italy, carried out by a group that was clearly highly organized and well prepared,” said Renzo Cotarella, Antinori’s chief executive officer.
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The crime was not discovered until employees arrived at the warehouse Monday morning. Lorenzo Vivoli, who works in Antinori’s communications office, said the warehouse alarm never activated. The company later determined it had been switched off from inside the building the day before.
They got the perfect timing, Vivoli said
“They got the perfect timing,” Vivoli said. “It’s as if they already knew everything.”
The Antinori family has been making wine in central Italy for 26 generations and more than six centuries. Today, its portfolio spans dozens of red, white, and sparkling wines sold in 170 countries.
Source: www.inc.com
