Crimeupdated 1h ago2 min read
Masked Thieves Steal 30,000 Bottles Worth €5 Million From Marchesi Antinori In Cortona
Thieves stole 30,000 bottles worth about €5 million from Marchesi Antinori in Cortona. They disabled alarms and cameras and loaded stock with company forklifts onto two lorries.
€5m Wine Heist
Masked thieves stole 30,000 bottles of wine worth €5 million from the Marchesi Antinori facility in Cortona, Arezzo, after disabling the alarm system and putting the cellar's security cameras out of commission. Renzo Cotarella, the CEO of Marchesi Antinori, told Corriere della Sera, "It is certainly a highly organized gang," and he added, "Perhaps the same one that has targeted other wineries in Italy in recent months." The thieves reportedly entered with two trucks and loaded bottles produced by the Florentine winery, including 10,000 bottles of their most prestigious product Solaia, from the 2023 vintage.
The theft was discovered on Monday morning when employees arrived and found the wine missing, and the company said it was informing customers around the world. The company explained, "we want to warn them to be wary of offers made outside official channels."
How the Raid Worked
At least seven masked men reportedly deactivated the alarms, disabled the cameras, and used company forklifts to load two large trucks with Tignanello, Solaia, and Guado al Tasso wines. The theft at Marchesi Antinori's storage facility in Tuscany took place on Saturday as the company was preparing to ship a consignment to customers abroad. Renzo Cotarella told Corriere della Sera, "A theft of this scale and value has certainly never occurred in Italy," and he added he was hopeful authorities could trace the stolen wine.
Cotarella also said, "Two trucks full of merchandise can't just disappear into thin air." The gang shut off alarms and surveillance cameras before using company forklifts to load two large trucks with 30,000 bottles of wine and making off from Cortona.
Market Warning and Investigation
Marchesi Antinori warned buyers globally to be wary of offers made outside official channels, and the company said it was trying to protect the market by alerting potential buyers that bottles from unusual sources could be stolen goods. Renzo Cotarella told the Financial Times, "We still hope to recover the wine; two trucks cannot simply vanish," and he said he did not understand how the bottles could be sold worldwide without being detected. The stolen stock could be destined for collectors or venue owners, and no arrests had been made after the theft was discovered on Monday morning.
Marchesi Antinori exports to 170 countries and had revenue of €263m (£223m) last year, and the theft followed a spate of wine thefts in Italy this year. The company told Corriere della Sera, "The gang was very prepared," and it added that the company has warned customers to be wary of offers of its wine outside official channels.