Almost 2.5 million liters of wine passed off as PDO and PGI were seized throughout Italy as part of the operationVinum Mentitum”, conducted by the Special Goods and Services Unit of the Guardia di Finanza together with the ICQRF, the Central Inspectorate for the protection of quality and repression of fraud in agri-food products.
The investigation, launched in 2024, targeted fraud in the wine supply chain, with particular attention to false claims of protected designations of origin and protected geographical indications.
According to what emerged from the checks, some batches of wine were declared as belonging to specific denominations without respecting the production specifications.
In other cases, however, the products were obtained with unsuitable grapes or musts, or were registered as denomination wines even though they did not meet the requirements. Practices that distort the market and deceive consumers, as well as damaging producers who operate correctly.
The checks covered various steps of the supply chain, from production to marketing, also including checks on the traceability and documentation of the wine batches. The inspection activities, carried out throughout the national territory, led to the seizure of wine with a total value of more than 4 million euros. The balance sheet of the operation speaks of: 24 people reported to the administrative authorities; 59 administrative violations contested; 11 warnings for remediable irregularities; an estimated minimum revenue of over 410 thousand euros in fines
During the checks, numerous inconsistencies also emerged between the real stocks and those recorded in the national agricultural information system (SIAN), the tool used to monitor and track wine production.
Not just food fraud
The operation also revealed other irregular profiles. In particular, the following were ascertained:
A picture that shows how fraud in the agri-food sector can also be intertwined with tax evasion and work irregularities.
Wine is one of the most recognized symbols of Made in Italy agri-food and for this very reason the DOP and IGP denominations represent a fundamental tool for guaranteeing quality, origin and transparency. Fraud, on the other hand, risks undermining consumer confidence and compromising the work of honest producers.
