The $24,000 Pinot Noir at the Center of Virginia's Wild Wine Heist

Two ultra-rare bottles of wine stolen during a brazen heist at a Virginia restaurant have mysteriously been returned months later, even as one of the suspects remains on the run.

Last year, a sharply dressed couple walked into L'Auberge Provençale and asked to see the owner's wine cellar. The restaurant is known for selling high-end wines to collectors.

The woman, speaking with a British accent, introduced herself as "Stephanie Jacobs," claiming she worked as a personal assistant for the CEO of a Canadian finance firm planning an extravagant dinner.

But owner Christian Borel quickly became suspicious of the pair's rapid-fire questions and the man's long overcoat.

Moments after leaving the cellar, Borel rushed back downstairs and discovered that two of the prized bottles, worth roughly $7,000 and $24,000, had been swapped with cheap screw-top wines. Six bottles of rare pinot noir had vanished.

"Stop them! They're stealing the Romanée-Contis!" Borel shouted, according to The Washington Post, sparking a foot chase that even involved a restaurant patron driving a Porsche.

The woman, Natali Ray, 56, was caught by Matthew Leader, a waiter. Her partner, Nikola Krndija, 57, got away in an SUV. He's still at large. Ray, 57, will plead guilty and be sentenced on charges of grand larceny, possession of burglary tools, and defrauding a restaurant or inn, according to court filings.

Ray has asked that she return to England to return to her blind mother who she cares for. She has no previous criminal record.

Wine Returned

Sgt. Mike Bell received a call about two of the missing bottles, which were returned to the public defender's office. It's not clear who returned the bottles. Bell returned them to the owners, encased in bubble wrap.

The problem remains of how the bottles were stored for the 145 days they were missing. Storage conditions for high-priced wine are crucial. The temperature should be 55 degrees, with 60 to 70 percent humidity, lying on their sides in the dark. The chances of selling them as is are slim.

Theft of high-end wine is a lucrative international crime, fueled by restaurants and shops that can list prized wine lists for buyers with deep pockets.

This story was originally published by Men's Journal on May 18, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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This story was originally published May 18, 2026 at 8:56 AM.