Whilst Italian wine is struggling, Alta Langa is flying off the shelves: 3,000 bottles stolen from Banfi
In recent days, entire pallets of classic method sparkling wine produced by the leading Brunello di Montalcino producer have been stolen in Piedmont
Key points
Wine consumption is set to decline inexorably, but wine – and above all high-quality sparkling wine – continues to hold such strong appeal that it has even become a target for criminals. On the night of 28–29 June, at the Banfi winery in Piedmont (a winery famous above all for the Brunello di Montalcino, which Castello Banfi itself brought to international prominence from the early 1980s onwards) over 3,000 bottles of Alta Langa DOCG were stolen. The estimated loss amounts to hundreds of thousands of euros.
The theft took place in the Strevi wine cellar, in the province of Alessandria.
Banfi: the thieves knew exactly what they were doing, targeting fine bottles
“The theft of entire pallets,” explain representatives from Banfi, “suggests that the thieves knew exactly what they were doing. In fact, they selected the bottles with great care, choosing various Alta Langa wines, from the Cuvée Aurora and Cuvée Aurora Rosé to the Riserva 100 Mesi.”
Call for consumers to report irregularities in the market
“For years we have been investing in traceability systems for our products,” explains Banfi’s chairman, Rodolfo Maralli, “and, in particular, for our flagship labels such as Alta Langa. The stolen bottles are therefore identifiable and potentially traceable throughout the supply chain: this could prove crucial to the investigations and makes it more difficult for them to be sold on the black market. We have decided to make this information public to seek the cooperation of customers, industry professionals and members of the public. Should the bottles appear in unusual contexts or through sales channels not linked to official ones, we urge you to report this to the relevant authorities or to the company. Any information may help to trace the route taken by the stolen bottles and assist in identifying those responsible.”
Alta Langa DOCG: 10 per cent annual growth for the past ten years
Alta Langa DOCG is a classic method sparkling wine with a long history: the result of experimentation begun in the mid-19th century by Carlo Gancia, it has only in recent times undergone a significant phase of rediscovery, followed by recognition. The DOC designation was granted in 2002 and the DOCG in 2011. At the time of the first vintage in 1996, there were seven producers; today there are around a hundred, 90 of whom are members of the protection consortium. There are 490 hectares of vineyards, and production exceeded 2 million bottles in 2024. It is a wine that has been growing at a rate of 10 per cent a year for the past ten years. In the Italian wine landscape, which is facing a number of market challenges, Alta Langa DOCG stands out as an exception: a wine that is – quite literally – flying off the shelves.
