ROME -- Thieves stole thousands of bottles of wine worth around $5.6 million from a vineyard in Tuscany in one of the largest, most audacious wine heists in recent history.
Marchesi Antinori, one of Italy's most renowned winemakers, on Friday said 30,000 bottles of some of its most prized wine varieties were stolen.
Seven masked people entered an Antinori warehouse in the Tuscan town of Cortona last weekend and loaded two large trucks with the bottles, which had been packed and assembled in preparation for being shipped to foreign markets, said Renzo Cotarella, the company's chief executive.
The thieves shut off the alarm, forced open a gate and used the firm's own forklifts to lift the wine crates and load them into the trucks, Cotarella said. The CEO added that company workers discovered the theft on Monday morning, when the shipments were supposed to move.
The company was caught off guard: Antinori had never experienced a robbery before, Cotarella said. The bottles weren't insured.
"Never could I have imagined a theft on this scale," Cotarella said in an interview. "It's not just about the financial loss, it is also an emotional hit" for the owners and for the company's workers, some of whom have generational ties to the vineyard. "Let's hope it is the first and last theft."
Italian police are investigating the incident.
The heist is the latest in a series of thefts targeting luxury goods across Europe. Last year, thieves made off with French crown jewels valued at more than $100 million from the Louvre in Paris. Gangs have repeatedly targeted boutiques selling designer handbags, including Louis Vuitton and Chanel.
Fine wine has also been a target. In 2021, a couple stole 45 bottles worth nearly $2 million from a Michelin-starred restaurant in Spain.
In the Marchesi Antinori case, three varieties of premium red wine were stolen: Solaia, Guado al Tasso and Tignanello, all from the firm's highly praised 2023 vintage. Around 10,000 bottles of each variety were stolen. For Solaia, the most expensive of the three, that is equivalent to 20% of the total production for that year. The retail price of a bottle of Solaia is between $450 and $560. The company put the value of the stolen wine at 5 million euro, or about $5.6 million.
The firm dates back to 1385, and is still controlled by the Antinori family, making it one of the oldest family-run businesses in the world. The company, which exports to 170 countries, on Friday warned importers against buying potentially stolen products.
The company also asked clients to "promptly report any suspicious situations to us," according to a Friday email.
Juan Munoz-Oca, the estates director for Marchesi Antinori's U.S. business, said he learned of the theft Thursday morning. The storied wine company imports its vinos into the U.S.
Munoz-Oca said that the producer highly monitors the counterfeit market and vowed the thieves wouldn't get away with the crime.
"We'll find them," he said.