Vandals spill 400,000 bottles of Italian sparkling wine in act of 'sabotage'

Loss estimated to have cost estate around half-a-million euros

The raid is being considered an act of sabotage because no other damage was caused and nothing was stolen (TIZIANA FABI/AFP/Getty Images)

Vandals have spilled the equivalent of 400,000 bottles of Italian sparkling wine in an act of "sabotage".

The raiders broke into the grounds of the Conte Vistarino winery in the middle of the night and drained seven refrigerated tanks of mostly Pinot Grigio, local media reports.

The wine, from the 2016 harvest, was maturing in the tanks at the 1,000 hectare estate in the Lombardy hills in northern Italy before it would have been sold to third-party wine makers.

The loss is estimated to have cost the estate around €500,000 (£420,000).

“It was a tremendous shock,” Ottavia Giorgi di Vistarino, the countess who manages the family-owned winery, told The Daily Telegraph.

She said the family received no threats and has no idea who might be responsible for the act.

The raid has been reported to police, who are investigating.

Because the perpetrators did no other damage and did not steal anything from the property, the incident is being considered an act of sabotage.

“If you have no idea why, you don’t sleep at night,” she added.

“The team is shaken, but we won’t let it stop us. We’ll just have to roll up our sleeves and get back to work.”