British woman faces 50 years in US jail over £30,000 fine wine cellar theft
Natali Ray, 56, from Kent, is charged with grand larceny after allegedly stealing Domaine de la Romanée Conti bottles from a Virginia restaurant cellar.
Kent woman arrested in Virginia after alleged distraction theft of Burgundy grands crus
A 56-year-old British woman is facing up to 50 years in a US prison after being arrested over the alleged theft of fine wine worth more than £30,000 from a historic restaurant cellar in Virginia, according to thedrinksbusiness.com.
Natali Ray, a mother of three from Herne Bay in Kent, has been charged with grand larceny, conspiracy to commit grand larceny, and defrauding an innkeeper. Several bottles from Domaine de la Romanée Conti — among the most sought-after wines in the world — went missing from the cellar of L'Auberge Provençale Inn & Restaurant.
Prosecutors allege Ray posed as the personal assistant to a wealthy Canadian businesswoman planning a dinner for 25 guests, operating under the invented name "Stephanie Baker." The alleged ruse was designed to distract staff while an accomplice concealed bottles of Burgundy in specialised pockets sewn into the lining of his overcoat.
CCTV footage, obtained by the Daily Mail, is said to show Ray — wearing a wig and a wool coat — telling the restaurant receptionist she wished to inspect the cellar to verify it was temperature-controlled. Patron and sommelier Christian Borel led the pair through three dining rooms and into the 5,500-bottle cellar, which holds stock from many of the world's most prestigious estates.
While Ray allegedly bombarded Borel with rapid-fire questions about American wines and elaborated on her fictional cover story, her companion is said to have taken eight bottles. In an apparent attempt to delay detection, he replaced the missing stock with cheap screwcap wine.
Two of the stolen bottles — a 2019 Échézeaux and a 2021 Grands Échézeaux — were later recovered outside the property. Six bottles valued at US$41,500 remain missing. The man fled in a rented SUV after staff gave chase; he has not been apprehended.
Ray was arrested in nearby Clarke County and is being held at the Northwestern Regional Adult Detention Center. A court appearance is scheduled for 3 December.
Borel told the Daily Mail he was initially convinced by Ray's polished manner and "well-travelled" demeanour. "The cojones to do that, right in front of them, during business hours with cameras everywhere. Are you serious?" he said, describing the alleged theft as "so brazen." He only grew suspicious when he noticed screwcap bottles in the cellar — estates such as Romanée Conti use cork exclusively.
Once detained, Ray reportedly offered conflicting accounts: she first claimed to have met her companion on a cruise, then said she had been coerced into participating. Her alleged accomplice remains at large.
The case forms part of a broader pattern of high-profile wine crime documented by thedrinksbusiness.com in its "db wine crime files 2025." The outlet reports that crimes against drinks companies have run into billions of pounds this year alone. Cases charted in the series include sophisticated counterfeit operations involving half a million dollars' worth of printing equipment, a London pedicab driver who used a wheelie bin to steal £31,000 of wine, and a fatal shooting at a luxury Napa resort. Other notable incidents include the jailing of French producer Didier Chopin for passing off carbonated still wine as Champagne, and a Yorkshire police dog uncovering £110,000 of stolen mulled wine.
Source: Google News UK — Crime (en)