Valve Turned, 3.6 Billion Won Worth of Wine Floods Out... Intruder Breaks into Famous Spanish Winery

Tank Containing 60,000 Liters of Red Wine Opened and Escaped

An intruder broke into a famous Spanish winery, opened the wine tank valves, and fled, causing damage estimated at around 3.6 billion KRW.

At around 2:30 a.m. local time on the 18th, an intruder broke into the famous winery 'Cepa21' located in the small town of Castrillo de Duero in northwestern Spain. The intruder opened the valve of a tank storing red wine and fled. This act resulted in approximately 60,000 liters (ℓ) of premium wine being spilled on the ground, with estimated damages reaching 2.5 million euros (about 3.611 billion KRW).
[Image source=Cepa21]

On the 27th (local time), BBC and other foreign media reported that at around 2:30 a.m. on the 18th, an intruder broke into the famous winery 'Cepa21' located in the small town of Castrillo de Duero in northwestern Spain. The intruder did not steal items or damage equipment in the winery. However, they opened the valves of tanks storing red wine and fled. This act resulted in approximately 60,000 liters (ℓ) of premium wine being spilled, with the damage estimated at 2.5 million euros (about 3.61 billion KRW).

Cepa21 released CCTV footage capturing the incident. The video shows an intruder dressed in a hat, raincoat, long-sleeved clothing, and long pants, covering their entire body, entering the winery and sequentially opening the wine tank valves. Wine poured out from one tank, soaking the intruder, but they continued the act undeterred. The intruder appeared to know the wine tanks well, accurately locating and opening the valves. It was confirmed that the intruder opened a total of five tanks, but only three of these tanks were filled with wine. However, nothing about the intruder has been revealed so far. Their identity remains unknown, and it is unclear whether they are male or female, or what their motive for committing this crime was.

A suspicious person opening the wine tank valve and fleeing at the famous Spanish brewery Cepa21.
[Image source=Cepa21]

Cepa21 believes it is nearly impossible to open the tanks without prior knowledge. A winery official stated, "It is very difficult for an ordinary person to open tanks that have their own security mechanisms," and speculated, "The intruder is likely someone familiar with this type of tank or machinery." They added, "Despite the darkness and lack of light, the intruder moved very smoothly across the winery," explaining, "They must have been someone who knew the place well."

Jos? Moro, CEO of Cepa21, said in an interview with the local public broadcaster TVE, "It is clear that the intruder's sole purpose was to cause damage to the business." Some speculated that a former employee might have committed the crime out of resentment. However, a winery official dismissed this, saying, "At this stage, there is no evidence to suspect current or former employees." The police have received a complaint from the winery and are investigating the case.