Marchesi Antinori reports major wine theft in Tuscany

Italian wine producer Marchesi Antinori reported on October 9 that around 30,000 bottles worth an estimated €5 million had been stolen from its warehouse near Cortona in Tuscany.

Financial Times, as cited by NTV, reported that seven masked people disabled the alarm system and removed wine in two trucks. The stolen brands included Tignanello, Solaia and Guado al Tasso.

The theft occurred the previous weekend and was discovered when employees returned on Monday. AP said the company disclosed it on October 9 to avoid interfering with the investigation. No arrests were reported at the time of the source publication.

Marchesi Antinori chief Renzo Cotarella appealed to the wine trade to help locate the bottles. He warned buyers about wine from questionable sources, particularly when offered at unusually low prices.

Founded in 1385, the company exports to 170 countries. The source puts last year's revenue at €263 million. Financial Times reported that the theft occurred shortly before valuable wines were due to be shipped to overseas customers.

The producer described the incident as Italy's largest known wine theft. That is its assessment of the crime's scale rather than a conclusion that the investigation is complete.