A RENOWNED winemaker and local councillor has died in a horrific accident after being crushed by a grape press inside his family’s cellar.
Matteo Forner, 44, was carrying out end-of-day cleaning at the Pat del Colmél winery in Castelcucco, northern Italy, when the tragedy struck.
Matteo Forner, a winemaker and councillor, died in a grape press accident in ItalyNewsflash
NewsflashThe accident occurred during cleaning when the press restarted after a power outage[/caption]
Forner – son of company founder Lino and a rising star in both winemaking and local politics – was cleaning the press with his father when it suddenly roared back to life, trapping him by the neck.
Emergency crews rushed to the scene on Friday evening, but paramedics could only pronounce him dead.
According to Corriere del Veneto, Forner “had done it a thousand times and was convinced that the press he’d used during the day was off this time too.”
Investigators believe a brief power outage may have caused the machine to appear switched off.
When the power returned, the press restarted without warning, slamming shut and killing Forner instantly.
His dad witnessed the accident and immediately raised the alarm.
Firefighters, Carabinieri officers, and health officials launched an investigation on site.
The Treviso Public Prosecutor’s Office has since opened a manslaughter probe into the incident.
Forner, who was elected to Castelcucco’s council in 2022, was a respected figure in the region’s wine industry and known for his work preserving ancient grape varieties such as Recantina and Rabbiosa.
He had recently taken on a larger role in running the 20-hectare family estate and was overseeing a particularly generous harvest this season.
Mayor Paolo Mares, a close friend, told Il Gazzettino: “My world fell apart when I heard the news.
“Before becoming a city councilor, Matteo was a dear friend. He was kind and helpful, a tireless worker…
“Workwise, he was a monster, and it showed in the work he did at the winery.
“Today we have lost a very precious person, also for the entire community.”
The winemaker leaves behind his parents, Lino and Gabriella, his 15-year-old son, a brother, and a sister.
He was just 10 days away from his 45th birthday.
The funeral will be held in the coming days.
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Forner was a respected figure in winemaking and local politics, known for preserving grape varietiesNewsflash
Former and his family owned the Pat del Colmél winery in Castelcucco, northern ItalyInstagram Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]
