• 30,000 bottles worth €5 million were stolen from Marchesi Antinori in Tuscany.
• The theft is considered the largest of its kind in Italy's history.
• Seven masked thieves executed the heist by disabling alarms and using forklifts.
• Authorities are investigating and alerting customers about secondary market offers.

In a stunning heist, thieves stole approximately 30,000 bottles of wine valued at about €5 million from the Marchesi Antinori winery in Tuscany. The winery reported that the theft occurred as they were preparing to ship wines from their warehouse. Chief Executive Renzo Cotarella stated, "A theft of this size and value has never occurred in Italy," highlighting the unprecedented nature of the crime according to BBC, Le Monde, and CBS News.

The robbery took place over the weekend, during which the thieves disabled the winery's alarms and surveillance systems. They used company forklifts to load the stolen goods into two large trucks, indicating a high level of planning and organization. According to reports, the stolen wines include Solaia, Tignanello, and Guado al Tasso, which can retail for between €150 and €500 each. Cotarella noted, "It is certainly a very well-prepared gang," suggesting that this crew may have been involved in previous thefts in Italy, as mentioned by Le Monde and CBS News.

The heist was discovered on Monday morning when staff arrived at the facility. Cotarella expressed hope that law enforcement could trace the stolen wine, noting the rarity of such a large shipment disappearing unnoticed. With authorities now on alert, the winery is urging customers worldwide to be cautious of any offers for the stolen wines outside official channels, according to BBC and CBS News.