Winemaker in Italy defends ‘historical’ bottle labels that feature Hitler, others

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An Italian winemaker is defending its “historical” line of bottles that have some unexpected people on their labels, including Adolf Hitler.

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Vini Lunardelli, the elder statesman of the Vini Lunardelli winery in northeastern Italy, had said that the bottles weren’t “political.” But his son, Andrea Lunardelli, plans to scrap the line early in 2023, when he takes charge, according to VICE News.

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The younger Lunardelli apparently doesn’t like the negative attention the bottles have brought to the winery.

The line has actually been around since 1995 and also has reviled dictators like Joseph Stalin and Francisco Franco on them.

“Unfortunately the most requested label [in the ‘historical’ line] is Hitler — especially by Germans, but also by many British, Nordic, French and Russians,” the elder Lunardelli told VICE. “But no Italian wants Hitler.”

“Whoever buys [the Hitler wine] is a collector, or remembers history, or wants nationalism against the current policies of multinationals… not against Jews.

“Besides, Hitler was a teetotaller, so we can even say that alcohol and Hitler are a nice joke,” he added.

Uh, most people.

Jewish advocacy groups condemned the winery in statements to VICE, including Rabbi Abraham Cooper, director of global social action for the Simon Wiesenthal Centre.

“When people buy bottles like that, they’re going home to toast what Hitler stood for and that’s outrageous,” he told the outlet.