Police have launched an investigation after burglars stole English wine worth £80,000 from a warehouse at Bolney Wine Estate in southern England.
Vines at Bolney Wine Estate. Image credit: Bolney Wine Estate
Thieves are thought to have hacked their way into the warehouse using a crowbar on Thursday night (26 February), Bolney Wine Estate’s retail sales manager, Aimee Knight, told Decanter.com.
Police forensics teams were at the English wine estate attempting to piece together events and find clues on Friday morning.
Bolney said the thieves stole 5,000 bottles of wine, including 540 bottles of the Sussex winery’s Blanc de Blancs 2009, which won a silver medal at the 2013 Decanter World Wine Awards. It estimated the value of the bottles stolen at £80,000.
Many of the wines were destined for shop shelves at Marks & Spencer and Waitrose.
‘We are understandably upset and frustrated by the loss of such a large amount of wine, as we work incredibly hard here at Bolney Wine Estate to produce top quality English wines,’ said the estate’s head winemaker and MD,
Samantha Linter.
Despite winning awards for its sparkling wines, Bolney has focused on producing premium red wines from Pinot Noir and Merlot. It has been producing wine for 40 years. The winery produces around 100,000 bottles per year.
Alongside the Blanc de Blancs, other wines stolen include:
- Cuvee Rose
- Bolney Bubbly
- Sirrius Rose
- Lychgate White
- Linter’s Red
See also:
Written by Chris Mercer
