Italian authorities have seized about 2.5 million litres of falsely certified wine, valued at more than €4 million ($4.3 million), in a nationwide crackdown on fraud in the country’s wine sector.
The operation, led by the Guardia di Finanza, targeted wines marketed as protected origin products, including DOP and IGP labels. The seized volume is equivalent to roughly 3.3 million standard 750ml bottles.
The investigation, codenamed “Vinum Mentitum” or “Wine of Lies,” was launched in 2024 by the financial police’s Special Unit for Goods and Services, in coordination with the Central Inspectorate for the Protection of Quality and Fraud Repression of Agri-Food Products.
Authorities said the probe focused on identifying irregularities across the supply chain through risk analysis and cross-checking of production and inventory data.
Investigators found that some wines had been falsely labelled as protected origin products, while others were made using grapes or must that did not comply with production rules or were sourced from non-certified regions. In some cases, discrepancies were also identified between declared production volumes and actual stock.
A total of 24 individuals have been referred to administrative authorities, with 59 violations recorded.
Officials did not disclose the names of the wineries or appellations involved. However, local media in Parma reported that wines from the Emilia-Romagna region were among those under investigation, and authorities said the nationwide scope of the operation means multiple regions could be affected.
Italy’s agriculture minister, Francesco Lollobrigida, said the government would not tolerate unfair competition based on falsified documentation, adding that protecting the “Made in Italy” label is critical to supporting legitimate producers and maintaining wine quality.
Wine fraud has long been a recurring issue in Italy, where the industry is both a cultural cornerstone and a major export sector. The combination of high premiums for top wines and a complex classification system has created opportunities for abuse.
In 2008, the so-called Brunellopoli scandal revealed that some producers had illegally blended international grape varieties into Brunello di Montalcino, despite regulations requiring the wine to be made entirely from Sangiovese. More than a decade later, a 2019 investigation uncovered about 3 million bottles of ordinary sparkling wine being sold as Prosecco DOC in the Veneto region.
Analysts say such cases are driven by the wide price gaps between classification tiers, the high value attached to prestigious appellations and the complexity of global supply chains, which make oversight more difficult.
From the Brunellopoli scandal to the latest seizures, authorities say enforcement efforts have intensified, with a focus on improving traceability and strengthening oversight to protect consumers and honest producers.
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