Mapping MONTALCINO

It seems that Montalcino's citizens may have been right in regard to their theory about the wine crime at the Case Basse winery . Last night the presumable responsible of the act of vandalism, which destroyed 626hl liters of wine has been taken into custody. Andrea Di Gisi was a worker at the Case Basse winery, who had recently been sacked by Gianfranco Soldera. Breaking into the winery and destroying six vintages of Soldera's wine aging in oak barrels, was likely meant as an act of revenge.  The 38-years-old Di Gisi is originally from Rome, and has reputedly been in conflict with the law before.   The head of Siena police said in a press conference today (see interview with MontalcinoNews below), that the main suspect had been identified already 48 hours after the crime had been committed. The following days were used to collect further evidence from video circuits around Montalcino, phone conversations and personal testimonies. Aldo Natalini, from the Procura di Siena...

It has been a long week in Montalcino. Wine makers or not, the residents' main topic these days isn't the icy cold weather or the nightmare of Berlusconi making his way back into politics, but the mean act of vandalism, which has taken place at Gianfranco Soldera's Case Basse winery at the beginning of December.  Sunset in Tavernelle, the hamlet below the Case Basse winery The famous Brunello producer woke last week to find his entire wine production had gone literally down the drain. During the night his wine cellar had been broken into, and the taps of Case Basse's beautiful big oak barrels (Soldera is no friend of barriques) were opened up, releasing 600 hl of wine from six vintages. Only the wine stored away in bottles was left intact. In fact not one of Soldera's forbiddingly expensive Brunellos went missing.