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Top 21 Most Expensive Fine Wine Collections Ever Sold at Auction as of 2024


Article on the most expensive fine wine collections and bottles ever sold as of 2024

 

The most costly wine in the world is a 1945 Romanée-Conti from the esteemed Domaine de la Romanée-Conti estate in Burgundy. At almost 80 years old, bottles of this magnificent vino are ultra-scare, which is why one sold for an incredible $558,000 at a Sotheby’s wine auction in Geneva in 2018.

The ‘45 Romanée-Conti came from the personal cellar of Robert Drouhin, a one-time operator of the  Maison Joseph Drouhin, a historic, family-run winery in Burgundy.  Long retired, Robert decided it was time to part with what was described by Sotheby’s as a “near impossible collection of the most legendary wines.” Welcome to the exciting and incredible world of very expensive wine collecting.

 

Table of Contents

The premium wine market in 2024

 

The premium market consists of the rarest and most costly wine in the world. Typically concentrated around a few core regions like Tuscany, Bordeaux, and Piedmont, the space is full of rich history, artisan producers, colorful characters, and incredible collections amassed over decades. 

When these collections come up for auction, it creates quite a stir. There is nothing quite like the combination of prestige, rarity, and good taste of a wine collection. But before we share the most valuable collection ever to sell at auction, let’s read the pulse of the 2024 wine collection and investment market.

 

1. Recent market correction

The fine wine market has been through a turbulent few years. A dramatic period of accelerated growth of almost 60% for Burgundy wines soon gave way to a sharp drop in the market. 

The Liv-ex Fine Wine 1000 index — a measure of the fine wine market, which includes the Burgundy 150 — paints the picture of a market in decline.

The premium wine market in 2024

 

However, these patterns must be placed in context. Fine wine, just like many other investment classes over the last few years, hit incredible and never-before-seen heights around the COVID-19 pandemic.

fine wine investment graph

 

Expensive wine brands escalated in prices over a short period before a market correction saw values crashing down. As you can see above, over the short term, prices for the most costly wine in the world are down by around 13%. But zoom out, and they’ve appreciated by close to 15%. 

What this tells us is that collecting and trading super expensive wine is a long-term project. It takes decades or more to build a collection, and the market experiences peaks and throughs during that period.

What we can say is that historically, wine is a very strong performer. A look at the market over the last 20 years shows why a long-term view pays off.

The fine wine market over 20 yearsSource: Bordeaux Index (2024)

 

For investors who got in at the 2022 peak, these declines will be very frustrating. However, if it is feasible for them to hold onto their pricey wine collection, there are reasons to be confident that profits await at the end of the tunnel.

 

2. What explains the decline of the premium wine market in recent years?

 

While the market for very expensive wine has experienced a traumatic decrease since 2022, it’s essential to look at the factors that have hit the market. If we look at wine consumption statistics over the last few decades, it’s evident that the appreciation of wine is holding firm, with slight dips and rises.

 

Wine consumption worldwide from 2020 to 2022

 

So, the market decline cannot be explained by people falling out of love with wine itself. 

 

Of course, bottles of the most expensive wine in the world are rarely actually drunk. Often, they sit in cellars or get passed around between collectors, waiting for the bottle to appreciate. So, we should be careful to index the general demand for wine with the market for costly wine brands.


Instead, we need to look at a unique mix of macroeconomic conditions to explain the fall in the wine market. Understanding these factors can help wine collectors plot a path towards the kind of returns they have grown used to over the last few decades.


Let’s briefly explore some of the main factors contributing to a challenging few years in the wine investment space.

 

3. Negative factors affecting the premium wine market in 2024

 

It’s been a difficult time for wine investors lately. Let’s look at the macroeconomic drivers behind the decline.

 

#1. Interest rates

The post-COVID economic climate saw runaway inflation that forced central banks to increase interest rates. The idea here is that by making money more expensive to borrow, there was less of it around, which could help suppress the rising prices for in-demand goods. These less accommodative monetary policies have hit the alternative investment market. 

Experts suggest that by the back end of 2025, interest rates will be around 3%, which will result in greater interest in luxury spending, like the most costly wine in the world.

 

#2. Political conflict

Political conflicts like the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the Israel-Palestine conflict have ripple effects. For example, wealthy Russian oligarchs — many regular players in the premium wine market — have been sanctioned, which hits demand. 

Additionally, the situation in the Middle East has caused a great deal of uncertainty around the world, which can reduce the appetite for risk, increase market volatility, and lead to sell-offs and flights to safety for different kinds of assets.

 

#3. China 

For many years, China was touted as an important market for premium wine. Growth figures show a consistent decline in wine consumption across the country of late, but there was enough activity from wealthy individuals to contribute to global demand for the most expensive wine in the world.

However, the near collapse of the Chinese property market has eviscerated growth forecasts in the region, with the knock-on effect being felt by wine and other alternative investment classes.

 

4. Positive factors affecting the premium wine market in 2024

 

However, it’s not all doom and gloom. Current macroeconomic conditions won’t last forever, and although we can’t expect things to return to the frothy heights of 2022 too soon, the market will bounce back.

 

#1. Historical resilience

Wine has been a passion for humankind for millennia. Indeed, traces of wine production can be traced back to 6000 or 7000 BC. While wine collections as we know them today are a more modern phenomenon, the form has been practiced to some extent since the invention of glass bottles. 

All that is to say that wine has shown historical resilience as an investment class thanks to a passionate investment base and a limited supply of bottles of the most costly wine in the world.

 

#2. Changing investor demographics

For a long time, wine investment was the preserve of wealthy male businessmen. However, things have changed dramatically in a short space of time. According to Cult Wine Investment’s Olivia Souto, the average winner bidder at auctions has dropped from 65 to 40 over the last few years. 

Indeed, the market for pricey wine has also become very culturally diverse. The takeaway here is that the more people who are in the market, the more demand and liquidity there is for investors.

 

#3. Flight to quality

While the macroeconomic turmoil described above has hurt the overall market, it could be good news for investors holding some of the most expensive wine on earth in their cellar. Experts at Liv-Ex have talked extensively about the “flight to quality” they are witnessing in the premium end of the wine market.

This phenomenon is visible across the general investment market during times of uncertainty. In effect, investors rotated into proven and known commodities. This market sentiment could be good news for expensive wine brands from Burgundy and Bordeaux.

 

#4. Low market correlation

Experts indicate that wine investment typically has a low correlation with the broader market. Indeed, a quick glance at the relative volatility of this investment class makes it clear that it can be something of a safe haven for investors during market declines and recessions. For investors who want to diversify, investing in the ​​most costly wine in the world could be a great idea.

volatility in fine wine investment

 

5. What makes a wine collectible?

 

Before we share our list of super expensive wine collections, it’s worth exploring the characteristics of the most expensive wine on earth. Just what is it that elevates a bottle from something you would drink at your table into the costliest wine in the world?

Let’s explore some of the factors to consider when evaluating whether a wine is worth investing in or has the potential to rival the most expensive bottle of wine in the future.

 

#1. Producer

The costly wine brands come from producers with a legacy of excellence. These reputations are earned over the long term, which is why it is one of the most important factors that collectors take into account when evaluating a bottle for purchase. 

Of course, there is some ebb and flow in estate reputation, but this tends to happen over extended time frames. Additionally, the past cannot be changed, so anything from the Domaine de la Romanée-Conti of a certain vintage will remain popular, no matter what happens.

 

#2. Production

Another thing that the most costly wine in the world has in common is rarity. Limited production runs will affect the ability of an investment wine to bring returns, with rare vintage bottles among the most desired and the most expensive.

 

#3. Provenance

Just like other luxury collectible markets, the premium wine market has a problem with fraud. 

The American Beverage Licensees suggests that it’s a $9 billion global market. Even sophisticated palettes are taken in by this chicanery because the most expensive bottle of wine is unlikely ever to be drunk by an investor. Indeed, some estimates suggest that up to 20% of bottles might be fakes and that the incidents largely go unreported.

The fascinating documentary Sour Grapes also highlighted the rampant practice, which included people like Rudy Kurniawan passing off counterfeit bottles at big-name auctions. 

Bottles with easily verifiable provenance give investors and bidders confidence to raise their paddle.

 

OK, so now that we have a better idea of where the market is going in 2024 and what you need to look out for, it’s time to look at what collections of the most expensive wine on earth go for at auction.

 

The 21 Most Expensive Bottles of Wine

& Collections Sold Worldwide

 

1. HENRI JAYER CELLAR AUCTION (SOLD FOR $35 MILLION)

 

The late, great winemaker Henri Jayer was also the owner of an incredible cellar. In 2018, at an auction at Domaine de Châteauvieux in Geneva, his historical fine wines went under the hammer, fetching a record $35 million.

It’s not every day that a costly wine bottle collection of this magnitude comes on the market. The event was organized by Baghera Wines and saw 1,000 bottles split into over 200 lots. The most valuable bottle of wine on offer was ​​1986 Richebourg, which sold for around $58,000.

Interestingly, Baghera needed to examine the collection because of its age. However, Jayer’s meticulous approach to corking and the collection’s color convinced them to put their reputation on the line.

 

2. A 17,000 bottles collection sold at the Tran-scend-ent Wines Auction (sold for $29.8 million)

This auction took place in March 2019 in Hong Kong and set a new world record for a private fine wine collection, with a sale price of $29.8 million. The sale crushed previous estimates and sold for nearly $4 million above its estimated pre-sale price, making it the most expensive wine ever sold in the world at the time of this writing in 2024.

The collection was valued for its rarity, with bottles including first-class wines from Burgundy and Bordeaux. The collection was sold by an anonymous owner, who was simply referred to as a fifth-generation developer of properties.

Top 19 Most Expensive Fine Wine Collections Ever Sold at Auction as of 2024

3. A private wine collection of Bill Koch’s (sold for £21.9 million)

Before the 2019 auction, the record for the most expensive wine collection to be sold at auction was held by a Sotheby's auction which took place in New York in 2016. The collection was owned by the billionaire wine collector Bill Koch, who was well known for exposing counterfeits of fine wine. The total sales for the auction outstripped the estimate of  million and reached £21.9 million, another worthy entry on our list of most expensive wines in the world as of 2024.

Before the 2019 auction, the record for the most expensive wine collection to be sold at auction was held by a Sotheby’s auction which took place in New York in 2016. The collection was owned by the billionaire wine collector Bill Koch, who was well known for exposing counterfeits of fine wine.

The total sales for the auction outstripped the estimate of $15 million and reached £21.9 million, another worthy entry on our list of most expensive wines in the world as of 2024.

 

4. PIERRE CHEN’S ‘ULTIMATE WINE COLLECTION’ (SOLD FOR $16.8 MILLION)

The renowned Taiwanese art collector Pierre Chen began to sell his 25,000 collection of fine wine in late 2023. The sale is happening in four different tranches. The first, called The Epicurean’s Atlas: The Encyclopaedic Cellar, reached $16.8 million at Sotheby’s Hong Kong. During 2024, as the next three tranches go under the hammer, the total sale is expected to surpass $50 million, eventually making this the costliest wine bottle collection of all time.

 

5. A collection from the cellar of Robert Drouhin (sold for $7.3 million)

a collection of expensive fine wine from the cellar of Robert Drouhin

In 2018 Sotherby’s of New York sold two bottles of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti’s, setting a new record at the time for the most expensive bottles of wine to ever be sold at an auction as of 2024. The bottles which were of a 1945 vintage sold for $558,000 and $496,000, which was five times more than the pre-sale estimate.

The collection included a variety of rare and vintage bottles of Burgundy’s most popular wine, with 100% of the bottles sold and achieving a total of $7.3 million.

The collector was a part of a family that runs an acclaimed Burgundy winery, Maison Joseph Drouhin, so it is no surprise that the collection was valued so highly.

6. Wines from the cellar of Joseph Lau (sold for $6.8 million)

most expensive wines from the cellar of joseph Lau

Joseph Lau, a billionaire who lives in Hong Kong and is known for his love of art and fine wine, began selling part of his enormous fine wine collection in October 2020. Lau has collected his huge wine cache over several decades, focusing on only the most expensive wine brands as of 2024. 

Sotheby’s performed the fine wine auction. Experts priced Lau’s collection, which consisted of 117 lots, at around $3.3 million, but the final number ended at $6.8 million. 

The top sale comes from 12 Romanée-Conti Domaine de la Romanée-Conti 1990. The bottles were some of the most expensive bottles of wine ever sold and amassed $509,000 on their own. Domaine de la Romanée-Conti (DRC) is a wine estate in Burgundy which produces some of the most expensive wines in the world. 

7. A collection owned by Andrew Lloyd Webber (sold for £2.6 million)

andrew webber's exquisite collection of fine wine bottles

Although Webber made his fortune from his musicals such as Phantom of the Opera and Cats, he is no stranger to investing in other areas. In 2011, his collection of 8,837 bottles of French wines was sold in Hong Kong for £3.5 million. The collection was split into smaller lots, with cases of 6 or 8 bottles and a total estimate of £2.6 million.

However, the eagerly anticipated sale surpassed all estimates with buyers competing for bids in person, over the phone, and online. The most expensive wine bottle sold was a Domaine de la Romanée Conti of the 1990 vintage, which achieved a price of £17,460.

Although, the most expensive wine lot within the collection sold for £48,500. The collection included 12 bottles of Chateau Petrus produced in 1982, which is one of the most desirable Bordeaux wines.

8. ALEX FERGUSON’S WINE COLLECTION (SOLD FOR $3.74 MILLION)

Alex Ferguson, widely regarded as the greatest footballer manager in history, was a huge fan of wine. He amassed an enviable collection over his years at the pinnacle of sport, which was put up for sale at Christie’s, Hong Kong, in 2014.

While original estimates for this pricey wine collection were around $5 million, the end results were a little lower at around $3.74 million. The biggest seller on the day was a Methuselah of Domaine de la Romanee-Conti Vintage 1997 vintage, which sold for over $120,000.

 

9. Bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon (sold for $1 million)

There’s now an answer to the question, what is the most expensive bottle of wine in the world in 2024, and it is a six-liter bottle of Setting Wines 2019 Glass Slipper Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

Instead of a fine wine collection, this bottle from California’s Napa Valley fetched $1 million by itself. It is not clear what made this bottle of the world-famous Cabernet Sauvignon so special, but it could have been the cause that the sale supported. The proceeds for the auction, which took place in November 2021, go towards the charity of American chef Emeril Lagasse. 

Don Steiner placed the winning bid, which won him the bottle. No one knows much about the man who spent so much on one bottle of red wine. 

very expensive bottle of wine sold at charity auction

10. Methuselah from Domaine de la Romanée-Conti (sold for $978,000)

Expensive white wine couldn’t compete with the reds in the last few years, and the highest-selling, most expensive single bottle of 2020 is proof. 

“Kingdoms” by Baghera/wine sold six large-format six-liter bottles of Methuselah from the legendary Domaine de la Romanée-Conti. A Swiss buyer bought lot 14 for about $978,000. 

The auction took place in December of 2020 and sold all of their lots for an astounding $3.9 million altogether. Kingdoms also sold six large-format Jeroboam bottles from DRC for $443,000 and several wines from the Enoteca Pinchiorri collection for $1.9 million. 

another of the most expensive wine in the world as of 2024 : “Kingdoms” by Baghera/wine sold six large-format six-liter bottles of Methuselah from the legendary Domaine de la Romanée-Conti. A Swiss buyer bought lot 14 for about 8,000

11. A collection directly sold by Chateau Mouton Rothschild (sold for $376,000)

In 2015, the famous winery found itself discussed by wine collectors across the world when its lots sold for 93% more than their estimate, reaching a total of $4.1 million, one of the most expensive wine collections sold as of 2024. The most sought-after lot of the auction was a 66-bottle collection that spanned 68 vintages, running from 1945 to 2012, although the years 1958 and 1963 were excluded.

This particular lot set a world record for Mouton vertical sold at auction, with a price reached of $376,000. This was particularly important for the winery as it served as a commemoration of the late Baroness Philippine de Rothschild, with proceeds given to a non-profit charity in her name.

A number of other lots in this auction set new records, including a single bottle of Chateau Mouton Rothschild from 1870, three bottles from the 1959 vintage, a magnum from 1945, and a 15-litre Nebuchadnezzar from 2000. The lot included many sought-after wines and achieved an impressive sale price of $117,788.

 

12. An imperial-sized bottle of Cheval Blanc 1947 from a secret cellar collection (sold for $304,375)

In 2010 a wine auction held in Geneva caused a stir when it sold a bottle of the mythical Cheval Blanc 1947 for $304,375. The bottle was part of a secret Swiss collection, which had been held in a cellar for a number of years.

It is the only known bottle in an Imperial format for this vintage. According to the auction house Christie’s, it took two years to convince the collector that it was the right time to consign the collection, based on the strength of the market conditions.

The vintage is hailed as one of the greatest Bordeaux wines of all time, based on its rarity and longevity. In the same sale, another collector auctioned off a collection amounting to more than 460 bottles, which helped to really put this auction on the map.

 

13.  A collection of shipwrecked wines rescued from the bottom of the Baltic (sold for $273,000)

In 2016 Bonhams was asked to auction a bottle of The Heidsieck & Co Monopole 1907 Goût Américan Champagne, which was part of a collection rescued from a sunken yacht. This specific bottle was sold for $273,000 (£213,000), with several of the same bottles sold at various auctions for the same price.

The yacht was sunk during World War 1 when it was detained and then sunk by a German U-boat, which left bottles of these fine wines at the bottom of the sea for 80 years.

The collection was being transported to Finland in 1916 and included fine wines, Cognac, and Champagne. In 1998 operations began to salvage the remains of the collection, with divers discovering more than 2000 expensive bottles of wine, all in excellent condition.

14. A collection of 2000 bottles from Lafite’s wine cellars (sold for $233,973)

In 2010, the sale of 2000 bottles from this renowned collector caused a stir and firmly positioned Asia as a serious wine market for some of the most expensive wines. The first lot was sold in 2009 and reached three times the rate expected in America at the time.

So, it was no surprise when a bottle of the famous 1869 Château Lafite sold for $233,973, a far cry from the original estimate of $8,000.

In Asia, Lafite is considered a luxurious purchase, with many wealthy collectors seeking the best vintages to add to their collection or offer as valuable gifts. The star of the auction was the 1869 vintage, with so many people looking to witness the sale that tickets had to be issued.

Following the auction, the price of Lafite of all vintages rocketed by 10-15%, with some merchants recording extraordinary levels of sales in the days after.

 

15. Barrel of 2019 Nuits St. Georges (sold for $231,000)

In May 2021, Acker Wines held a two-day fine wine auction that netted $10 million. The auction commenced in Hong Kong, an area up and coming in the world of fine wine, and overall, the sale achieved 201 new world records, including one of the most expensive fine wine collections as of 2024. 

However, the biggest sale came from lot 1114, where the house sold a 216-liter barrel of 2019 Comte Liger-Belair Nuits St. Georges. From the cellars of Domaine du Comte Liger-Belair, the barrel sold for an astounding $231,000. 

Domaine du Comte Liger-Belair is located in Burgundy, France, one of the primary wine capitals of the world. The Liger-Belair family has been making wines in the area for 200 years, and many consider this Domaine one of the greatest on earth. 

 

16. CHATEAU LAFITE’S 1869 VINTAGE SOLD FOR $230,000 IN 2010

First Growth Bordeaux estates are among the best-classed and most beloved producers in the famous French region. Château Lafite fits within this criteria and is regarded as one of the most prestigious winemakers in the world. Thanks to a warm and dry year, a Château Lafite 1869 is considered the finnest example of the estate’s work. When Château Lafite put some bottles from that vintage up for sale, there was a huge level of excitement considering its provenance.

In 2010, at a sold-out wine auction in Hong Kong, three bottles went for $230,000 each. These numbers were a staggering 28x their pre-auction estimate. At the time, the press heralded this event as a shift of momentum toward the Asian market. While that prophesy may not have turned out to be quite true, it certainly raised eyebrows in the market for the costliest wine in the world.

 

17. 1787 CHÂTEAU LAFITE BORDEAUX SOLD FOR $156,000 IN 1985 

Château Lafite has another big entry on the list of the costliest wine bottle collections, this time from an auction in 1985. The bottle went for an astounding $156,000, which, adjusting for inflation, is over $450,000 today. At the time, it became the most valuable bottle of wine ever sold at auction, with rumors suggesting it was once owned by Thomas Jefferson.

Bottles of wine of this age are not drinkable. Even the best vintage Bordeaux might last for around 50 years or so. A 200-plus-year-old bottle will have long decayed past the point of consumption. Instead, these bottles are purely about owning something with pedigree and history. 

However, that’s not where the story ends with this bottle. The high price it achieved at auction attracted a lot of interest, with some experts questioning the authenticity of the bottle. Indeed, a fascinating book called The Billionaire’s Vinegar asks serious questions about its authenticity. What’s more, the bottle was the subject of a legal dispute when the buyer, William Koch, was sued by the French government for allegedly buying stolen property.

While it’s still unclear if the sale was fraudulent, experts at Christie’s auctions say the engraving on the bottle is consistent with well-understood 18th-century techniques. What’s more, renowned expert Michael Broadbent authenticated the bottle before it was sold.

 

18. A record for the most valuable white wine ever sold as of 2021 – 2023 (sold for $117,000)

Although not quite sold at auction, the impressive price achieved for this 1811 Château d’Yquem ensures that it deserves a mention in our 2024 list of the most expensive wine. It is one of just 10 bottles that exist worldwide and has been awarded 100 points by Robert Parker, who described it as one of the greatest wines in the history of Bordeaux.

The bottle of white wine was sold by The Antique Wine Company to Christian Vanneque, a private wine collector. As the former head of La Tour d’Argent, a famous Parisian restaurant, he certainly knows his wines. The wine was sold for $117,000, which explains why it now sits proudly protected by bulletproof glass in his current Balinese restaurant in Indonesia.

19. JEROBOAM OF CHATEAU MOUTON ROTHSCHILD 1945 SOLD FOR $114,614 IN 1997

Sometimes a bottle of wine is more than just a bottle of wine. This is especially true in the case of this Jeroboam (3L) of Château Mouton Rothschild 1945. Firstly, 1945 was an exceptional vintage for the wine. Moreover, the bottle is engraved with a “V” to represent the end of World War II. 

Only a few hundred of these bottles were ever produced. Many have been drunk or lost, which contributes to the high price. However, the quality of the vintage is the real driver here. The bottle is known as an outstanding and full-bodied wine, which has caused it to be highly sought-after by collectors.

When the bottle went up for auction at Christie’s London in 1997, it was won by an anonymous phone bidder for $114, 614.

20. 1787 CHATEAU D’YQUEM SOLD FOR $100,000 IN 2006

Château d’Yquem in Bordeaux, France, is one of the most respected wineries in the world. Their best product is widely regarded as Sauternes, a sweet dessert wine of exceptional quality and rarity. The 1787 vintage is considered one of the best the estate ever produced.

So, it’s no surprise that it became the most costly wine bottle of all time when it sold for $100,000 in London to the American businessman Julian LeCraw Junior. However, the story does not end there. LeCraw Junior became convinced that he had been sold a fake and sued the seller, the Antique Wine Company, for $25 million. The case was dismissed in 2015, with the judge citing jurisdiction issues.

 

21. A collection from Massandra (sold for $43,500)

Massandra is the oldest wine cellar operating in Ukraine, with its 1775 sherry the rarest bottle of its kind. Although this is the most historic auction on our 2024 list of the most expensive wines in the world, the rare Massandra Sherry de la Frontera reached an impressive $43,500 when it sold in 2001.

It is the oldest known bottle in existence from the winery, so it is no surprise that it achieved such a high price in the auction held by Sotheby’s of London.

Massandra is the oldest wine cellar operating in Ukraine, with its 1775 sherry the rarest bottle of its kind. Although this is the most historic auction on our 2024 list of the most expensive wines in the world, the rare Massandra Sherry de la Frontera reached an impressive ,500 when it sold in 2001. It is the oldest known bottle in existence from the winery, so it is no surprise that it achieved such a high price in the auction held by Sotheby's of London.

Image credit: pinterest.com

The Massandra winery collection includes more than 1 million vintage wines, but this sherry is prized for its unique golden colour. The winery has caused a stir in more recent years when in 2015 another bottle from 1775 was opened for Russian president Putin and the Italian media personality Silvio Berlusconi.

Before 2014 the area was owned by the Ukrainian government, which makes these wines historically significant. It is thought that Ukrainian prosecutors are planning to charge the winery’s manager with embezzlement for the over-generous gesture.

 

Impact of Ukraine War on the Most Expensive Fine Wine and Champagne In the World As of 2024

 

With supply chain disruptions and inflation, the prices of fine wine and champagne bottles and collections continue to rise exponentially. The wine industry has reportedly seen a 30 percent rise in costs this year. These increases continue to drive up the cost of fine wine and champagne bottles each year. 

The world’s economic state governs the wine industry, creating a rise in prices that helped sell the most expensive bottle of fine wine: a 2019 bottle of Glass Slipper Vineyard Cabernet that sold for $1 million in 2021. This represents the most expensive bottle of wine ever sold in the world at a charity auction to the current date (at the time of this writing in 2024). 

The same likely goes for the most expensive champagne in the world as of 2024: a bottle of Champagne Avenue Foch that sold for $2.5 million in a private 2022 sale. A pair of Italian cryptocurrency brothers purchased this Champagne bottle through this private sale, making it the most expensive Champagne in the world. And although it is a magnum of champagne, it comes with much more than just a glass of bubbly. 

Supply Chain Disruptions on bottles & collections of wine

Supply chain challenges and material shortages have impacted the wine industry over the last few years. Labor shortages in the United States and elsewhere in the world have contributed to these supply chain issues. In addition, with the looming pandemic, many companies were not operating at full capacity or, if at all, creating a shortage of workers to distribute fine wines. 

The transportation industry’s restrictions make importing fine wine across borders challenging, and limited in-person auctions where these fine wine bottles would be available. 

With continuous labor and material shortages needed for packaging and transportation, these are some of the most challenging supply chain issues for the fine wine industry in the past 20 years.

Inflation 

Naturally, inflation directly impacts the costs of obtaining fine wine bottles & collections worldwide. These increased costs can present struggles for securing affordable venue rentals, hospitality lodging costs for potential buyers, and other associated fees that may be prevalent with hosting a large-scale auction. 

Therefore, wine producers must raise the costs of the fine wine products they sell at auctions to cover these increases. Although the everyday wine industry has bounced back from a recession, producing 10% growth, the fine wine industry is showing a significant 29.3% growth to account for inflation factors.  

 

To quickly sum up the 5 most expensive wine bottles and collections in the world as of 2024, you can also watch our short video below:

 

That concludes our list of the top 21 most expensive wines ever sold at auction as of 2024.

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