Italian Police Shut Down Illegal Winery in Agrigento

Italian financial police and food inspectors shut down an illegal winery in the province of Agrigento and seized more than 8,000 liters of wine that investigators said had no traceability or origin certificates.

The operation took place in Palma di Montechiaro, where officers from the provincial command of the Guardia di Finanza in Agrigento and inspectors from the Sicilian office of ICQRF, the central inspectorate for quality protection and fraud prevention in agri-food products, found a winery operating without the required health authorizations for producing and storing food and beverages for sale. Investigators also said the facility lacked the hygiene and structural requirements demanded by current rules.

Because of those violations, the premises were declared unfit for activity and ordered closed immediately. The seized wine included both bulk and bottled product.

Authorities said administrative violations were also issued as part of the case. The action is part of broader checks aimed at stopping illegal production and sales that can undermine consumer safety and distort the market for protected wines and other regulated products.