French police arrested the 56-year-old man on suspicion of stealing Burgundy wines earlier this month, after CCTV footage reportedly connected him to theft of bottles at his most recent workplace.
A search on the suspect’s home uncovered many more wines that were believed to have been stolen.
It’s now thought the man may have stolen more than 7,000 Burgundy wines from different employers in the Beaune area during a period spanning at least 15 years, according to Dijon-based media outlet Le Bien Public.
It said the total haul was estimated to have a potential value of €500,000 (£428,000). Individual bottles were believed to range in value from under €100 to up to €1,000.
A non-police source informed the publication that potentially as many as 10,000 bottles could be linked to the case.
Neither the wines nor the companies were mentioned, and the suspect was not identified.
Based in the nearby city of Dijon, State Prosecutor Olivier Caracotch reported to Agence France Presse that the suspect is not believed to have sold any of the bottles he is alleged to have stolen, according to a report by France Bleu. The report also stated that the case is likely to go to trial in the summer.
Beaune is located in the center of Burgundy’s renowned Côte d’Or. In 2015, in the area’s Côte de Beaune and Côte de Nuits sectors, vineyard parcels making up 1,247 individual ‘climats’ were incorporated into the UNESCO world heritage list.
Beyond Burgundy’s borders, the region’s best wines have become a target for fine wine thieves, with observers connecting this to bottles’ scarcity – and high prices on the secondary market.
Recent high-profile wine heists have included break-ins at fine dining restaurants in different countries.
Last year, a couple were sentenced to prison for stealing fine wines, including top Burgundies, from Atrio hotel and restaurant in Spain.