Masked thieves broke into a warehouse in Cortona, Italy, and made off with around 30,000 bottles of wine from the prestigious Marchesi Antinori vineyard, valued at more than $5 million, in what the company says may be one of the largest wine thefts ever reported.
Antinori CEO Renzo Cotarella told CNN on Friday that the robbers disarmed the alarm system to carry out the daring heist, which took place over the weekend and was discovered on Monday when workers arrived to prepare the wine for export.
The stolen wines were all from 2023 and included some of the winery’s most popular labels, which sell internationally for between 150 and 500 euros ($168 and $561).
“Soraia, Guado al Tasso and Tignanello are the most emblematic wines we have,” said Cotarella, describing them as defining examples of the region’s famous “Super Tuscan” red wine category. Between 60,000 and 70,000 bottles of Soraia are produced each year, and the thieves stole about 10,000 bottles.
No arrests have been made yet. Cortona police said they were carrying out an extensive search, but declined to say whether they believed the two trucks from which the wine was stolen were still in Italy.
“Given the scale of the theft, both in terms of the number of bottles stolen and their estimated market value, this case may be among the largest wine thefts ever reported,” Marchesi Antinoli said in a statement. “An investigation by the competent authorities is ongoing and the necessary assessments are also being carried out to determine the exact extent of the theft.”
Cotarella said he urged consumers not to buy these wines from unknown sellers and to report them if they appear on the market. The wine was stored in a warehouse for shipping, so it was packed in boxes to make it easier for thieves to remove it.
The robbery followed a series of other wine thefts. Last month, 3,000 bottles of Barolo worth around 400,000 euros were stolen from the Conterno Fantino vineyard in Piedmont. It is unclear whether the thefts are related.
Marchesi Antinori was founded in 1385 and is currently run by the 26th generation of the family. It exports to 170 countries and has annual revenues of approximately 265 million euros.
Cotarella said he believes the wine will be found. “Two trucks cannot simply disappear. I will always remain positive,” he said.
