A Tuscan winery reported the largest wine theft in Italy’s history, with thieves stealing roughly 30,000 bottles worth an estimated €5 million. The crime occurred on Saturday night at Marchesi Antinori’s facility near Cortona in the province of Arezzo.
Chief Executive Renzo Cotarella said the thieves disabled the facility’s alarm system and surveillance cameras before entering with two large trucks. Using the company’s forklifts, they loaded the vehicles with 2023‑vintage bottles and fled during the night.
The stolen bottles were all from the 2023 vintage and include about 10,000 bottles of Solaia, one of Antinori’s flagship wines, as well as Tignanello and Guado al Tasso.
The company, founded in 1385 and run by the Antinori family for 26 generations, is alerting customers worldwide to be wary of offers outside official sales channels. Authorities are examining surveillance footage and other evidence to trace the shipment.
The theft eclipses a 2017 robbery that saw 2,000 bottles of rare wines valued at €750,000 taken from a warehouse near the Adriatic resort town of Cervia.
