Thieves steal 30,000 bottles of wine worth $5.6 million in Italy

Rome - A sophisticated heist has seen 30,000 bottles of wine valued at approximately five million euros ($5.6 million) stolen from the prestigious Marchesi Antinori winery in Tuscany. This marks what appears to be the most significant wine theft in the history of Italy, according to a company representative who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The targeted wines were three red varieties - Tignanello, Solaia, and Guado al Tasso - known for fetching 120 to 300 euros or more per bottle based on vintage. These wines are considered among the winery's most iconic labels and highly sought after by collectors.

The robbery took place over the weekend at a central Italian warehouse where the wines were being prepared for export. The facility in question is the company's largest, acting as a hub for all shipments prior to dispatch. The thieves managed to disable the security system and remained at large until the theft was uncovered on Monday. Investigators believe a crew of five to six individuals was involved in the operation. The theft was carried out using two vans.

Last month, a separate incident saw 3,000 bottles of Barolo wine stolen from a vineyard in the northern Piedmont region, valued at several hundred thousand euros. However, this appears to be the first major heist targeting the Marchesi Antinori winery. The company representative noted that while other vineyards have been targeted in the past, they have not been victimized until now.