Italian police have busted a counterfeit Montalcino ring, seizing more than 165,000 liters of what purported to be Brunello and Rosso di Montalcino wine. The total haul is thought to be worth a million euros.

A consultant based in the Montalcino area is currently under investigation, along with various other people who work in the local wine industry. The suspect faces charges of false advertising, embezzlement, fraud and unauthorized access of a computer system.

The police, in collaboration with the Inspectorate for the Suppression of Fraud (ICQRF), uncovered some 75,000 liters of wine labelled Brunello di Montalcino, 90,000 liters of supposed Rosso di Montalcino and 2350 fake labels. Large quantities of the fake wine were allegedly sold between 2011 and 2013. Alarms were raised in a report by the Brunello di Montalcino Consortium.

Fabrizio Bindocci, president of the consortium, said in a statement: "It is a serious issue that could cause significant damage to Brunello di Montalcino, to its producers and its territory. Fortunately there is a system that has the strength and the means to identify, isolate and successfully combat those who abuse the reputation of Brunello."

Brunello di Montalcino is one of Italy's most sought-after wines, commanding high prices and pulling the same kind of respect in the wine world as Barolo or Burgundy. It was given DOCG status in 1980 and has long been a target for counterfeiters.

In May this year, more 30,000 bottles of cheap wine posing as Brunello and Chianti, along with other prestigious Italian wines were confiscated from wineries, shops and bottling plants. These were uncovered as part of an ongoing investigation by police which implicated six companies, the names of which were not released.

Bindocci has indicated that the Consortium will seek civil action against counterfeiters following the investigation. He has also set out the Consortium's new rules surrounding bulk sales of Brunello di Montalcino intended to curb illegal activity.