The crew at Hunting and Fishing in Kerikeri couldn't believe their eyes when they identified the missile that a would-be burglar had propelled at a window, presumably in the hope of getting inside.
It was a bottle of Veuve Clicquot, champagne, which the offender had reportedly nicked from the local Countdown supermarket (where it retails for $80), last week.
"I couldn't believe it when I saw the label," one of the crew said. "It was a crime against wine."
The window held up, he added, but the bottle didn't. It exploded, showering glass everywhere, raising suspicions that perhaps it hadn't been chilled before launch, obviously with some force.
The offender had yet to be identified at edition time yesterday, but the intended victims suspected that, given his refined taste, he may not have been a local.