A British mother of three, who presented herself as a sophisticated wine connoisseur, has been charged in connection with an audacious theft of ultra-rare wine valued at £31,500 from a restaurant in Virginia, USA. Natali Ray, 56, from Herne Bay in Kent, appeared in shackles at Clark County General District Court this week, a stark contrast to the silk-scarved woman who charmed staff at L'Auberge Provencale just two weeks earlier.
The Elaborate Sting Operation
On November 19, a well-dressed couple arrived at the French-inspired restaurant in northern Virginia's wine country. The woman, using the alias 'Stephanie Baker' and speaking with a cut-glass English accent, expressed interest in hosting a private dinner for 25 people. She and her grey-haired male companion showed particular interest in the inn's climate-controlled cellar, home to 1,280 curated bottles.
Co-owner Christian Borel, whose family has run the business for 45 years, gave them a tour. "She was so convincing, she seemed so proper," Borel told the Daily Mail. While he was showing the woman French and American wines, the man allegedly slipped six bottles of prized Domaine de la Romanée-Conti (DRC) Pinot Noir into a specially designed compartment in his coat, replacing them with cheap screw-top plonk.
The Chase and Arrest
The couple made a swift exit, but Borel, suspicious of the man's unusual gait, checked the cellar and raised the alarm. A patron drinking an Old-Fashioned at the bar joined the pursuit. They managed to detain Natali Ray on the grounds, but her alleged accomplice fought free, jumped into their car, and fled after a tussle.
In a dramatic turn, the patron—who owned a Porsche—took a waiter and gave chase down the highway until the Porsche was involved in a collision. Two of the stolen bottles, a 2019 Echézeaux and a 2021 Grands Echézeaux, were recovered intact. Four bottles, including a 2020 Romanée-Conti valued at approximately £18,000, remain missing.
A Pattern of High-End Theft?
The Daily Mail can reveal that police are investigating whether Ray and her accomplice are linked to a strikingly similar theft in Florida in April last year. In that incident, a woman with an English accent and a silk scarf, accompanied by a grey-haired man with a moustache, distracted staff while a £20,000 bottle of DRC Grand Cru was stolen.
The owner of the Florida wine shop, after viewing CCTV from Virginia, stated, "I'm convinced this was the same couple... They operated in the same way and both wore wigs." Christian Borel agreed, instantly recognising the male suspect from Florida images, noting his "crappy moustache."
Ray, a freelance writer and former hotelier, gave a tearful account at her arrest, claiming the male companion was someone she met on a cruise who had abducted and forced her into the crime. However, her Instagram account, under the name Tea Ray, shows extensive recent travel to glamorous destinations including Miami, France, and Tanzania.
She has been charged with grand larceny, conspiracy to commit grand larceny, and defrauding an innkeeper. If convicted on all counts, she faces a potential maximum sentence of up to 50 years in prison. The case has been adjourned until February 11.
Back in Herne Bay, neighbours expressed shock, describing the alleged theft as "totally out of character." One mentioned Ray has a chronic illness, while a family member in Leicester said they were "blindsided" and believed she was on a cruise for a friend's birthday.
The stolen DRC wines are among the world's most sought-after. With only 5,000 bottles of its flagship Pinot Noir produced annually, a booming black market exists. Borel fears the missing bottles are already sold, possibly to a collector in Hong Kong, Singapore, or London. He has provided serial numbers to auction houses but remains pessimistic about their recovery.
