A tragic incident occurred where a winemaker, Matteo Forner, aged 44, lost his life after being caught and crushed by his grape press while cleaning it on the evening of October 10. This unfortunate event took place at a winery that Matteo was instrumental in establishing, with his father Lino reportedly witnessing the incident.
Reports indicate that both Matteo and Lino believed the machine was turned off at the time of the tragedy. However, due to a temporary power outage, the machine restarted when power was restored, leading to the fatal accident.
Emergency responders, including firefighters and medical personnel, were quick to arrive at the scene, but Matteo was pronounced dead on-site, and his body was later taken to the Castelfranco Veneto mortuary.
Matteo, who was well-known in the Grappa area, was set to mark his 45th birthday in less than two weeks. He had recently been elected to the city council for the Castelcucco Nuova party in 2022, further highlighting his community involvement.
Following Matteo’s untimely demise, Mayor Paolo Mares expressed his deepest sympathies to the Forner family, recalling Matteo as a cherished friend known for his kindness, hard work, and dedication. The mayor emphasized Matteo’s strong work ethic, particularly citing a past incident where Matteo promptly assisted in removing a fallen tree from a road during inclement weather.
The winery, Pat del Colmél, situated in the Montello Colli Asolani area of Treviso in the Veneto region, has been a family-owned business since 1875, passed down through generations to today’s owners, Gabriella and Lino Forner, and their son Matteo, who had taken on a leadership role in recent years.
Matteo is survived by his parents, his 15-year-old son, and his siblings, leaving behind a legacy of hard work and dedication to the winery and the local community.