NEED TO KNOW
A group of masked thieves stole 30,000 bottles of wine worth around $5.8 million from Marchesi Antinori, one of Italy’s biggest family-owned wineries
The thieves stole some of the company’s most prestigious and sought-after wines, including Guado al Tasso, Solaia and Tignanello
“It’s not just about the financial loss, it is also an emotional hit,” said the CEO of Marchesi Antinori
A group of masked thieves stole 30,000 bottles of wine worth around $5.8 million from one of Italy’s biggest family-owned wineries.
Renzo Cotarella, the CEO of Marchesi Antinori in Florence, Tuscany, told CBS News that a group of thieves disabled the winery’s alarm system and surveillance cameras before entering the premises in two large trucks on the evening of Friday, Oct. 2.
The individuals then allegedly used the company’s forklifts to load their vehicles with copious amounts of expensive wine before fleeing the scene.
“It is certainly a very well-prepared gang,” Cotarella said, per the outlet. “A theft of this size and value has never occurred in Italy.”
Marchesi Antinori winery
Credit: Shutterstock
As part of the heist, the thieves stole some of the company’s most prestigious and sought-after wines, including Guado al Tasso, Solaia and Tignanello, according to The New York Times. The bottles were sitting in the warehouse to be shipped for export on Monday morning, a shipment that only happens once or twice a year.
“We weren’t prepared for something like this,” Lorenzo Vivoli, who works in communications for the company, told The New York Times. “We do have insurance, but unfortunately it will only pay us one-tenth of the price.”
“They got the perfect timing,” he added of the thieves. “It’s almost like they knew.”
As the police in Cortana continue to investigate the incident, Vivoli told the outlet that he is “very confident” that authorities will be able to track down the missing bottles of wine.
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“30,000 bottles do not disappear,” he said. “These wines are produced in limited quantities that are very sought after. They are only tiny quantities sent to each restaurant or wine store.”
Cotarella also assured The New York Times that his company is “cooperating closely with the authorities and informing our partners and customers around the world, asking them to pay particular attention to any offers outside official distribution channels.”
The Wall Street Journal reported that seven masked men were involved in the heist.
“Never could I have imagined a theft on this scale,” Cotarella told the outlet. “It’s not just about the financial loss, it is also an emotional hit. Let’s hope it is the first and last theft.”
Read the original article on People