Illustration of vines, here in Gard, August 14, 2015. -
Clément Follain / 20 Minutes
The owners of the Coteau Rougemont vineyard, located about fifty kilometers from Montreal in Quebec, have had nearly half a ton of grapes stolen.
The theft, which occurred last week in the middle of the night, was discovered when workers arrived on a plot to harvest the last grapes of the season.
“We prepare the vines, we water it, we maintain it, we pull out the weeds, we trim them during the summer as well.
It's six months of work so when you come to harvest your fruit, when you realize that it has disappeared, it's really frustrating, ”explained Michel Robert, owner of Vignoble et cidrerie Coteau Rougemont.
The equivalent of 300 bottles of wine
The thieves removed the nets that protected the vines to uproot around 500 kilograms of grapes.
The managers were deprived of the production of the equivalent of 300 bottles of white wine for an amount of around 5,000 Canadian dollars (3,210 euros).
The Sûreté du Québec said Tuesday it was still investigating.
According to a spokesperson, Valérie Beauchamp, the thieves used an all-terrain vehicle with a trailer, which left traces.
They also used black trash bags to transport their loot after tearing up an entire row of vines, damaging several branches in the process.
“We have little hope of finding the grapes, it's too late.
On our side, all the harvests are over, ”said Michel Robert.
The owners of the vineyard, however, offer a reward of five cases of wine to the person who "would allow them to pin down the criminals".
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