Connoisseur crims in vintage heist

One of the thieves stares directly at the store's security camera. Photo / Supplied

Brazen burglars have made off with $250,000 worth of fine wine and spirits after disabling an alarm system and taking almost three hours to cart out their selections.

Staff at Glengarry arrived at work at 7.30am yesterday to discover the theft at their Victoria Park store in Auckland.

Director Jak Jakicevich told the Herald that security footage showed two people wearing high-visibility jackets and floppy hats taking their time to stockpile top-shelf champagnes and spirits before carefully loading them into a van.

Among the loot was an exclusive 3-litre magnum bottle of 1995 Dom Perignon with white gold plating and valued at $14,500.

Also stolen were several bottles of cognac valued at $4000 each and bottles of champagne valued at more than $8000.

"It's been very much a targeted operation."

Mr Jakicevich said the burglars had cut the cables to the phone lines and alarm systems about 10.30pm on Monday night. Then, waiting to ensure the security monitoring company had not noticed the disabling, the burglars entered the store at 12.30am yesterday. They even stole video cameras and some computers to prevent being caught.

"They just went through all the premium champagnes down one little wall where they knew exactly what they wanted. They then picked certain things off the shelves leaving other things behind. So they were very selective."

Mr Jakicevich said the footage showed the pair did not leave until 3.20am yesterday and took eight minutes to load the van at the Wellesley St entrance to the store.

"Everyone's just really gutted. To come in and just find the place ransacked was just gut-wrenching."