Hitler-themed wine defended as ‘a nice joke’ by Italian winemaker

An Italian winemaker defended its “historical” line of bottles that feature controversial figures — including Adolf Hitler — on its labels.

The patriarch of Vini Lunardelli, a winery in northeastern Italy, has previously insisted that the collection is not meant to deliver a “political” message, according to VICE News.

But the brand’s heir apparent, Andrea Lunardelli, plans to discontinue the line by early next year — when he takes over for his father, Vini — because he’s reportedly fed up with the undue controversy the bottles have caused.

The problematic line has been in production since 1995, and also features dictators like Francisco Franco and Joseph Stalin. It can be found in 50 stores across Italy, as well as on the winery’s website, where people can customize “collective” bottles with other Nazi leaders and slogans — including “Blut und ehre” (“Blood and honor”) and “Ein volk, ein reich, ein führer” (“One people, one realm, one leader”).

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

Nevertheless, he continued to defend the bottles in his statement. “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.

The bottles are illegal in countries like Germany and Austria, where strict laws prevent the glorification of Nazism.

The bottles aren’t too popular with some foreign tourists, either.

“The store employee said Germans very much like to buy these wines, and they are clearly the big hit there,” Austrian Dagmar Millesi told Heute in July. “The saleswoman was even amused at my outrage … nobody is angry about it, no one forbids it … I couldn’t believe it.”

Meanwhile, Jewish advocacy groups condemned the winemaker 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.

In July, Jewish leaders and others were outraged when Hitler’s personalized watch — complete with its infamous owner’s initials and an engraved swastika — sold at an auction for $1.1 million. Critics were adamant that the timepiece had little to no historical value.