German thieves steal entire vineyard of grapes
October 2, 2018
Police in the southern German town of Hassloch reported on Monday that thieves had made off with an entire vineyard of wine grapes in broad daylight. The devious criminals made off with €8,000 ($9,242) worth of riesling white wine grapes.
"The unknown offenders … used a professional harvesting machine over the entire surface" of the vineyard, according to the police report.
The crime was carried out on Wednesday between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m.. The thieves absconded with 1,600 kilograms (3,527 pounds) of grapes in the village of Deidesheim, just north of Hassloch.
Deidesheim lies in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate, which despite its small size is home to six of Germany's 13 wine-producing regions. The area is especially famous for riesling, but is also home to the Schloss Wachenheim Group, the worldwide leader in sparkling wine production. The 13,000 vintners in the area account for 90 percent of Germany's wine exports.