Over 3,000 bottles of Barolo stolen! An organized gang ‘raids’ a renowned Italian winery?

Another meticulously planned winery burglary has occurred in Italy’s Piedmont region. Recently, the locally renowned Conterno Fantino winery was broken into, with over 3,000 bottles of Barolo wine stolen—goods valued at several hundred thousand euros. Located in the world-famous Langhe wine region—renowned for producing Barolo and Barbaresco—the winery sits among a cluster of prestigious, high-value Italian wine estates, and Conterno Fantino ranks among the most prominent locally. According to preliminary investigative disclosures, on the night of the incident, four thieves walked across nearby vineyards before infiltrating the estate. Surveillance cameras captured footage of the masked perpetrators committing the crime. Investigators believe the group spent approximately three hours inside the winery, acting calmly and methodically: they maneuvered forklifts around the facility and loaded thousands of bottles onto two trucks before fleeing. This high degree of planning has led local police to reasonably suspect the involvement of a professional criminal syndicate. The gang appears not to have selected wines haphazardly for easy resale, but rather targeted specific vintages and stock inventories. Investigators thus surmise that the theft was likely commissioned by a particular buyer or resale channel. Authorities are currently reviewing surveillance footage and examining physical evidence at the scene to identify the perpetrators and reconstruct their entry and exit routes. Whether the stolen trucks have been recovered—or whether this case is linked to other thefts—remains unconfirmed in public reports. The break-in at Conterno Fantino marks the second such incident in Piedmont in recent months. At the end of June this year, approximately 3,000 bottles were also stolen from Banfi’s cellar in Strevi. The thieves made off with several pallets of ‘Alta Langa’—sparkling wines produced under the Alta Langa DOCG designation in Piedmont’s upper Langhe zone, made using traditional method. A Banfi representative stated the thieves appeared to have pre-selected their target wines: “They carefully chose various Alta Langa wines.” Banfi is internationally best known for its Brunello di Montalcino; since the early 1980s, the company has played a pivotal role in establishing Tuscany’s global reputation for fine wine. The company reports having invested for years in bottle-level traceability systems—meaning the stolen wines may potentially be tracked throughout the supply chain.

High-end Italian winery burglarized: 1,000 bottles of Brunello stolen!

Over the past weekend, a gang of thieves broke into the retail shop of Col d’Orcia winery in Tuscany under cover of darkness and stole 1,000 bottles of Brunello di Montalcino—including rare, vintage-reserve bottlings. According to the winery, the stolen wines are valued at approximately €100,000 (nearly RMB 800,000). The thieves entered the shop late at night and carried away roughly 1,000 bottles of Brunello, including a set of exceptional reserve vintages—some dating back as far as the 1964 vintage—as well as highly acclaimed 1997 and 1999 Poggio al Vento Riserva bottlings. Francesco Marone Cinzano, the estate’s owner, stated he was sleeping in an adjacent building when the burglary occurred: “Some of these bottles are now one-of-a-kind, truly unique.” “They took only Brunello—everything else in the shop remained untouched and orderly.” Clearly, the theft was highly targeted. The thieves fled the scene in a van stolen from Col d’Orcia; it was discovered last Thursday evening in Perugia—but no wine was found inside. Police have enlisted forensic experts to analyze traces left at the scene in search of clues, and have alerted wine merchants, retailers, and importers worldwide to remain vigilant for the stolen goods.

Thieves Pull Off Italy’s Biggest-Ever Wine Heist, Stealing 30,000 Bottles Worth 5 Million Euros

14 hours ago

Thieves stole 30,000 bottles of premium wine worth €5 million from Marchesi Antinori in Tuscany, marking Italy's largest wine heist. The company has warned global customers to beware of unauthorized offers following the well-prepared gang's attack.

apnews

2026-10-10

Thieves Pull Off Italy’s Biggest-Ever Wine Heist, Stealing 30,000 Bottles Worth 5 Million Euros

Thieves Pull Off Italy’s Biggest-Ever Wine Heist, Stealing 30,000 Bottles Worth 5 Million Euros

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