Italy's biggest online wine retailer fined for falsely claiming products were discounted

E-commerce company Tannico has been fined €50,000 for “unfair commercial practices” surrounding “discounts” offered on its wines.

Italy’s consumer watchdog Autorità Garante della Concorrenza e del Mercato has fined Italy’s biggest online wine retailer Tannico for advertising “discounted” products when in fact these were priced higher or equal to their retail price in the previous 30 days.

The independent body called the discounts on Tannico’s website and app “misleading and incomplete”, and ruled that Tannico had breached rules relating to the transparency of discounts.

Who owns Tannico?

Until October 2025, Tannico was owned by a joint venture between Campari Group and LVMH’s Moët Hennessy, who jointly acquired 50% each of the venture in 2022. However, in October this year the two drinks giants sold Tannico to Castel-Vins, an arm of French wine company Castel-Frères for an undisclosed price. Castel-Frères, based in Bordeaux, is one of the largest French wine companies with 23 wineries in France and around 500 branches of wine retail chain Nicolas. It also owns the online wine retailer Vinatis.

In a statement announcing its acquisition of Tannico on 6 October, Castel-Vins stated that the deal would enable it to “continue to develop its e-commerce focused digital ecosystem and consolidate its presence in Europe”.

Castel-Vins further stated that acquiring Tannio would “help in the selection and marketing of products that meet current and future consumer needs”, and that by integrating Tannico it would “be able to strengthen our direct ties with consumers and provide a range of products and services that increasingly resonates with market demands”.

The breach applies to discounting practices that took place before Tannico’s website and app was changed in mid-July 2025, and therefore before Castel-Vins took the reins.

What does it do?

Tannico’s website currently promises “hundreds of labels on offer” with “crazy discounts, incredible value for money and big brands at special prices”. It further vows to connect consumers with “a collection of hidden treasures… in limited quantities at very low prices.”

As well as grouping products together by red, white and sparkling, and by country, Tannico also offers wines under special categories including Heroic Viticulture; Independent Winemakers; and Artisan Wines, as well as by occasions such as Barbecue, Picnic, Romantic Dinner and After Dinner.

The business claims to be “the leading player in the Italian wine digital ecosystem” and in 2024 it achieved a revenue of €60 million.