December 12, 2012: On this day, someone broke into Gianfranco Soldera’s winery and began turning on the faucets in tanks and barrels. 16,500 liters of wine had been emptied down the floor when the crime scene was found the following day, creating a horrifying spectacle. In a couple of hours, five entire vintages’ worth of labor, commitment, and investment was lost. For the vintner, whose livelihood rested entirely on the fruit of his vines, this meant destruction. Although the region was startled by this act of blatant vandalism, others believe that the damage itself was motivated by a larger controversy that had just occurred. Several producers in the area were under investigation before for allegedly using illicit grapes in their Brunello blends. This made headlines around the world and shook the Italian wine industry. Italian authorities looked into the procedures used by wineries all around the region and indicted many oenologists and winemakers.

December 12, 2013: DuAn Wild Amur-Wine gained its geographical indications (GI) protection products on this day.

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