Two cooperatives in Puglia have been the targets of sabotage. On the nights of 20 and 21 October, their tanks were opened, releasing 40,000 hectolitres of wine and must, according to ANSA, the Italian news service.
The cooperatives, the Antica Cantina di San Severo and the Cantina Padre Pio di Torremaggiore, are both located in the province of Foggia.
Investigators are looking into the possibility that the attacks are retaliation for the winery’s grape pricing policies.
Local newspaper La Gazzetta del Mezzogiorno reported Francesco Miglio, mayor of San Severo, as saying: “We are facing a truly sad event that shakes our conscience, a fact that is of unprecedented seriousness, as well as a gesture of absolute cowardice perpetrated at the expensive of works and producers in our district. This episode is a terrible blow to our economy.”
The damage is estimated at €2m ($2.2m).
Do you have a news tip or something to announce? If so, send it to carter@meininger.de
To stay up to date with the news, subscribe to our newsletter. For in-depth, international content, subscribe to Meininger's Wine Business International magazine, available in print and online.
