Booze has been a hot commodity among burglars so far this year, with several heists executed globally.
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In June, clever thieves impersonated shipping handlers and stole $500,000 worth of bourbon from a Philadelphia warehouse in broad daylight. The midday heist stole 10,800 bottles of Noble Oak Bourbon.
Across the pond, 70,000 pints of Guinness were stolen in September. The massive theft occurred in the United Kingdom, where thieves escaped with two trailer trucks carrying 800 barrels of Guinness.
"It is famously said that 'Guinness is good for you,' but that is only the case when it has been bought and paid for," Detective Gary McClatchy said of the heist. "We will settle for nothing less than a full recovery of all the items stolen."
Not to be outdone, thieves in Italy executed the country's biggest wine theft in history, stealing 30,000 bottles of wine.
Thieves Steal Over $5 Million Worth of Wine
The theft targeted Marchesi Antinori's facility near Cortona, in the province of Arezzo, where a group of at least seven thieves on Saturday night made off with bottles of some of Italy's most prized wines.
Chief Executive Renzo Cotarella said the thieves disabled the winery's alarm system and surveillance cameras before entering with two large trucks. Using the company's forklifts, they loaded the vehicles with wine and fled at night.
The theft was discovered Monday, but the company made it public on Friday to avoid interfering with the investigation.
The massive heist is worth an estimated $5.8 million in wine, according to multiple outlets.
"It is certainly a very well-prepared gang," Cotarella said. "A theft of this size and value has never occurred in Italy."
He added that he was hopeful the authorities would be able to recover the stolen wine.
"Two trucks full of merchandise can't just disappear into thin air. The Tuscan roads are full of cameras. Perhaps with a bit of luck, we'll be able to recover at least some of the bottles stolen from us."
Cotarella said the winery is alerting customers worldwide to be wary of offers outside official sales channels.
"We are informing our clients around the world and asking them to pay attention to any offers outside the official channels," he said.
