$300,000 in fine wine stolen from famed restaurant recovered

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP-Excite

By KRISTIN J. BENDER

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — More than $300,000 in world-class wine stolen from a famed Napa Valley restaurant has been recovered from a private cellar on the other side of the country.

But the mystery of who broke into the unmarked wine room at the world-renowned French Laundry eatery and how the 76 bottles of fine wine got to a private cellar in Greensboro, North Carolina, has yet to be solved.

The theft occurred on Christmas, a day after Chef Thomas Keller's restaurant closed for a six-month kitchen remodel.

The Yountville establishment is rated three stars in the Michelin guide and twice has been named the world's best by Restaurant Magazine.

FULL story at link.



File - This Sept. 29, 2006 file photo shows the exterior of the French Laundry restaurant in Yountville, Calif. More than $300,000 of world-class wine stolen from the famed Napa Valley, California restaurant has been found in a private cellar in North Carolina. The stolen wine included bottles of Domaine de la Roman{e9}e-Conti, where the winery owners use laser and digital technology on corks and capsules to curb counterfeiting and theft. A single bottle can cost up to $10,000. Screaming Eagle wines were also stolen. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg, File)



Read more: http://apnews.excite.com/article/20150123/us--napa_restaurant-stolen_wine-ad48827b4e.html

[Spitfire of ATJ]

1. ...

[NaturalHigh]

2. Let me preface by saying that I'm not really a wine person...

but it just boggles my mind that anyone would spend this kind of money for wine.

[Historic NY]

3. 76 bottles....hell thats not a drop in the bucket..

for my cellar.

[Fortinbras Armstrong]

4. Here is an actual picture of Historic NY's wine cellar

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

8. Those are indeed fine wines. I've enjoyed a few bottles.

.. along with another fine wine:

[dembotoz]

5. wine in the cellar--i keep my beer in the fridge

i keep my laundry in the cellar--oh i mean basement.

i do not eat by my laundry-suppose i could after i fire up the old maytag.....

[brooklynite]

6. C'mon - where's that anti 1% sentiment I've come to love?

76 bottles worth $300K? That's an average of $4,000 EACH.

[Dreamer Tatum]

7. Having eaten at the French Laundry once

I can say that it is worth begging, borrowing, stealing or even EARNING the money required to eat there.

It is jaw dropping. Figuratively and literally. And the soms there will unearth wines that won't destroy your budget. Some aren't even on the wine list.

[hunter]

9. It seems that counterfeiting wines could be a mighty profitable business.

Even better, creating them...

The high end wine business is similar to the high end audio business. Both amuse me.

All these little emperors walking around with no clothes, buying these hyper expensive wines or audio equipment, not because they can actually taste or hear any difference, but simply to show everyone else they can spend the money.

That's probably why I'll never be wealthy. I just don't care.