Mezzacorona investigation: 60,000 bottles seized over alleged false IGT 2025 labels

The investigation

The Trento prosecutor’s office is investigating Gruppo Mezzacorona, general manager Francesco Giovannini, the then commercial director and the then chief oenologist on suspicion of criminal conspiracy, commercial fraud and sale of products with misleading indications. The allegations remain to be proven and the presumption of innocence applies.³

On Thursday 5 November, Trento’s economic and financial police, acting under prosecutor Davide Ognibene, searched the winery and seized 60,000 bottles. Investigators are examining 175,000 bottles worth an estimated minimum of €1 million. According to l’Adige, the other 115,000 bottles from the same lot had allegedly already reached the market at about €12–€13 each.³

The disputed wine

The inquiry concerns wines declared, certified and sold as Trentino IGT 2025. Analyses allegedly found significant discrepancies with product records: investigators suspect the wine was made from grapes from outside Trentino and from a vintage different from the one on the label. The financial police said the alleged operations could have reduced costs by placing lower-quality wine on the market and increased revenue by selling more bottles as a falsely superior category.^{2 · 3}

Checks and Mezzacorona’s response

Checks began in autumn 2025. Rai reported that officers found vegetation water in tanks, a by-product of processing that can, for example, concentrate must and that, according to the financial police, wineries are not permitted to possess. According to l’Adige, an administrative fine for an unrecorded oenological practice was paid; later sampling found anomalies in origin and vintage, reportedly confirmed by 3 specialist laboratories in September 2026.^{2 · 3}

Mezzacorona rejected the allegations, saying the findings concerned 1 lot, a minimal share of its production, and denying any prohibited practice. Company lawyer Vittorio Manes said the group had started internal checks and expected to clarify the matter; Rai reported that a specialist technician had already been appointed to examine the finding.^{2 · 3}