Thieves Steal €5 Million Worth of Antinori Wine in Tuscany

A gang of thieves has stolen an estimated €5 million worth of fine wine from a facility belonging to Marchesi Antinori, one of Italy’s most prestigious wine producers, in Cortona, near Arezzo.

According to reports by Corriere della Sera and the Financial Times, at least seven people were involved in the operation, which took place overnight on Sunday. The thieves made off with approximately 30,000 bottles from the 2023 vintage, including 10,000 bottles of Solaia, one of Antinori’s most celebrated wines.

The stolen shipment also included bottles of Tignanello and Guado al Tasso, with individual prices ranging from €120 to €300.

A carefully planned operation

The robbery appears to have been meticulously organized. The thieves reportedly disabled the security alarm system and surveillance cameras before entering the facility with two trucks.

Once inside, they used the company’s own forklifts to load the bottles onto the vehicles. The theft was discovered on Monday morning, when employees arrived at work and found the wine missing.

Renzo Cotarella, CEO of Marchesi Antinori, told Corriere della Sera that the operation was clearly carried out by a highly organized gang, possibly the same group responsible for other winery thefts across Italy in recent months.

According to Cotarella, a wine theft of this scale and value has never previously occurred in the country.

Where could the stolen wine end up?

The destination of the stolen bottles remains unclear. Investigators face the challenge of tracing a substantial quantity of high-value wine that could potentially be offered to collectors, restaurants or international buyers through unofficial channels.

However, the limited production of some of the stolen wines could make the bottles difficult to sell without attracting attention. Solaia, in particular, has an annual production of approximately 60,000 to 70,000 bottles, meaning the stolen shipment represents a significant share of a single year’s output.

Marchesi Antinori is now alerting its international customers to the theft, warning them to be cautious of unusually attractive offers from unauthorized sellers.

Speaking to the Financial Times, Cotarella expressed hope that the stolen wine could still be recovered, pointing out that two truckloads of valuable bottles should be difficult to move and sell without leaving traces.

The company is also seeking to protect the legitimate market for its wines by warning potential buyers that bottles offered through unusual channels or at suspiciously low prices could be stolen.

A historic name in Tuscan winemaking

Founded in 1385,  is one of Italy’s oldest family-owned wine businesses and a leading name in the international fine wine market.

Its flagship labels, including Solaia and Tignanello, have helped establish Tuscany’s reputation for premium wines and are particularly sought after by collectors around the world.

The theft highlights the growing vulnerability of high-value wine inventories to organized criminal groups, as rare and prestigious bottles increasingly become targets for large-scale robberies.

(Cover photo: Hermes Rivera via Unsplash)

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