Florence, Italy – In what is being described as the largest wine theft in Italian history, a gang of masked thieves made off with approximately 30,000 bottles of premium Tuscan wine, valued at around €5 million ($5.8 million USD). The brazen overnight heist targeted a warehouse belonging to Marchesi Antinori, a historic family-run winemaker founded in 1385.
The theft occurred in Cortona, Tuscany, and was discovered by staff on Monday morning. CCTV footage revealed a highly organized operation involving at least seven individuals and two vans. The thieves managed to bypass security systems to access the prized inventory.
The stolen wines were all from the exceptional 2023 vintage, known for its high quality. The haul included some of Antinori’s flagship labels, such as Tignanello, Solaia, and Guado al Tasso, which typically retail between €150 and €500 per bottle. An estimated 10,000 bottles of Solaia alone were taken.
Renzo Cotarella, CEO of Marchesi Antinori, expressed shock at the scale and execution of the robbery, suggesting it was the work of a highly organized group. However, he remained optimistic that investigators could track down the stolen goods, noting that moving two truckloads of wine undetected would be difficult. Italian police have launched a full investigation into the incident.
This heist significantly overshadows previous high-profile wine robberies in Italy, such as the 2017 theft of 2,000 rare bottles worth €750,000 from a warehouse in Cervia.