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Sotheby’s Annual Wine & Spirits Auction Report, 2023
- Auction SalesReached a new high for the third year in a row, achieving $159 million
- Highest Grossing Week of Wine & Spirits salesIn November, Sotheby’s Wine & Spirits achieved the Highest Grossing Week of Wine & Spirits sales ever staged by any auction house, realizing a combined total of $50 million across three regions within the same week
- New Auction Record for Any Bottle of Spirit or Wine Ever SoldThe Macallan 1926, featuring the Valerio Adami label, set a new auction record for any bottle of spirit or wine ever sold, achieving $2.7 million.
- Global Leader in Single-Owner AuctionsSotheby’s remains the undisputed global leader in Single-Owner auctions, surpassing $100 million in Single-Owner sales for the first time
- The World’s Most Important and Valuable Wine Collection Ever to Come to MarketThe first tranche of the world’s most important and valuable wine collection ever to come to market was offered with The Epicurean’s Atlas: The Encyclopaedic Cellar in Hong Kong
- Leader in AsiaSotheby’s remains the market leader in Asia for wine and spirits auctions, and held inaugural auctions in Shanghai and Singapore
- Charity AuctionsCharity auctions raised nearly $40million for philanthropic causes, including for the 163rd Hospices de Beaune auction and second Distillers One of One auction
- U.S. Buyers Were The Strongest Bidders By CountryU.S. buyers were the strongest bidders by country in wine and spirits auctions, while Asia remained the leading market nevertheless
- 19 Scotch Whisky Distillery Records Were Set in One Auction Alone19 Scotch whisky distillery records were set in one auction alone, with Distillers One of One
- Sotheby’s Opened a Wine Boutique in ZurichIn response to a global demand for fine wine available at retail, Sotheby’s opened a wine boutique in Zurich
Sotheby's Wine Indices
Sotheby's Wine Indices
They are valuable for anyone interested in the wine market, from wine collectors to sellers to journalists, and for both consumers and investors.
See Indices
- What are the Sotheby's Wine Indices?We created our Wine Indices as a useful tool so anyone can look at the market performance of fine wines, from different regions, with data taken from only one source, Sotheby’s, with the highest standard of quality of wines offered for sale. Our data is the most comprehensive single source that reflects the global secondary auction market, including all Sotheby’s auctions in London, New York and Hong Kong. These indices are made from live auction sale prices, so they reflect true market prices paid by both consumers and the wine trade (not just B2B). They are valuable for anyone interested in the wine market, from buyers to sellers to journalists, and for both consumers and wine collectors. Our aim was to make the Wine Indices interactive and provide the functionality to let the user choose the timeframes and compare the regions that interest them with the financial markets. Our data starts tracking the market from 2005 and is continually updated every month. Each Index is comprised of more than 10 wines (and up to 157 wines), selected as they are sold most frequently, and from a minimum of 10 vintages (of those wines). If you have questions about the Indices, please contact: wine@sothebys.com .
- How are the Sotheby's Wine Indices calculated?The Sotheby’s Wine Indices leverage the S&P/Case-Shiller repeat sale methodology for residential real estate, as used by Sotheby’s Mei Moses for fine art. Our indices identify unique fine wines by the name of the wine, producer, vintage and bottle size, that have been sold by Sotheby’s, to compare how prices change for the identical wines. Data is compiled monthly into regional price indices. Months with multiples of the same combination of wine and vintage are averaged, and each month is a rolling three-month average of the three most recent months.
- Why are there no spirits indices?While Sotheby’s has been selling wines since 1970, we have only been selling Spirits as a separate category (to Wine) since 2019. As a result, we do not have enough data to create any indices for Spirits.
- What wines are included in the indices?Wines and vintages for each index were carefully selected by our team of specialists to accurately reflect and represent each category. For a complete list of wines, please click here. The vintages were selected based on those that are mostly frequently offered at auction (the best wines!)
Overview
Sotheby’s Wine provides a global network to bid, buy, sell, store and discover fine wines and spirits. Between our wine auction house, retail stores, storage facilities and expert advisors, Sotheby’s Wine is a comprehensive, trusted source for everything relating to wine and spirits.
Buy
From our innovative line of Own Label wines to record-breaking auction results, Sotheby’s offers wines and spirits for all levels of consumers and wine collectors. Bid for wine in an upcoming auction, browse our retail stores’ expertly-chosen selections, or meet with an advisor to craft your ideal collection. Our global team of specialists with over 400 years of expertise selects wine and spirits in the best condition and with excellent provenance.
Sell
Sotheby’s Wine’s well-earned reputation as a wine auction house attracts the world’s most prestigious collections. With 77 Single Owner Wine Auctions that have collectively sold for $347MM over the past decade, Sotheby’s is the undisputed worldwide leader in Single Owner wine sales. Apart from being the auction house of choice for important cellars, Sotheby’s Wine also makes offers to buy well-sourced and perfectly-stored wine and spirits at a fixed price. We maximize the value of collections by determining the best method of sale across three continents and multiple wine selling platforms.
Store
Sotheby’s Wine Storage provides secure, temperature-controlled, fully insured, professional storage of fine wine and spirits in New York, London and Hong Kong. Clients are automatically enrolled to store in all of our locations, and can seamlessly access and manage their collections any time with our online platform, Sotheby’s Wine Virtual Cellar.
Seek Advice
Sotheby’s Wine comprises the most experienced and successful team in the business. Our renowned specialists are eager to consult about building, maintaining and maximizing the value of wine and spirits collections. Our advisors are always available to discuss collection goals, suggest purchases or sales, and recommend what to further cellar or drink.
About Sotheby’s Wine
Established in 1744, Sotheby’s is the world’s premier destination for art and luxury. Sotheby’s promotes access, connoisseurship and preservation of fine art and rare objects through auctions and buy-now channels including private sales, e-commerce and retail. Our trusted global marketplace is supported by an industry-leading technology platform and a network of specialists spanning 40 countries and 50 categories, which include Contemporary Art, Modern and Impressionist Art, Old Masters, Chinese Works of Art, Jewelry, Watches, Wine and Spirits, and Interiors, among many others.
Sotheby’s Wine’s annual worldwide auction sales of wine and spirits totaled an outstanding $92 million in 2020, with over 15,000 lots sold across 41 sales – a nearly 50% increase in the number of auctions held in 2019. Over $60 million of wine and spirits were sold to online bidders in 2020 versus $28 million in 2019, with 85% of all lots offered finding online buyers. Demonstrating continued strength in Asia, Sotheby’s led the market in the region for the third consecutive year, with over 70% of the total bid amount in all Wine and Spirits sales attributed to collectors in Asia.
Sotheby’s Wine’s has had the privilege of auctioning numerous record-breaking wines and spirits in recent years, with 2020 alone witnessing new world auction records for any bottle of Japanese whisky, any bottle of whisky produced by the Dalmore Distillery, as well as any bottle of Cognac. Sotheby’s Wine currently holds the world records for any whisky collection ever sold at auction, any private wine collection ever sold at auction, the most expensive bottle of wine ever sold at auction and the most expensive bottle of spirits ever sold at auction.
In addition to auction items, Sotheby’s Wine launched a retail business in 2010. With a retail store located in Sotheby’s New York headquarters and e-commerce at www.sothebyswine.com, Sotheby’s Wine offers a carefully curated selection of wines from the world’s most prestigious producers and important regions. Expertly assembled by our experienced specialists, the selection is built upon lasting relationships with winemakers from across the globe, with bottles that are ready for immediate consumption, in addition to investment-worthy wines from highly sought-after vintages. A second retail location opened in Sotheby’s Hong Kong galleries in 2014.
Beginning Memorial Day Weekend and running through Labor Day Weekend, if clients place a minimum order of $750 by Wednesday, Sotheby’s Wine will deliver to you by Friday. Additionally, the ground shipping fee is waived for orders of $175.
Click here to visit Sotheby's New York Online Wine Retail shop.
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If you wish to enquire about the possibility of selling your wine or spirits, please click here .
Contact Us
- NEW YORK:
- +1 212 606 7050
- LONDON:
- +44 (0)20 7293 6423
- HONG KONG:
- +852 2524 8121
- France:
- +33 153055396
