Nearly 200,000 bottles with a total value of 38.3m euros - this is the current balance of the online auction house iDealwine, which claims to be the largest online platform for wine auctions.
According to iDealwine, 47 auctions took place thriough the site. A total of 197,928 bottles (0.75-liter scale) were auctioned off, an increase of 4%. The value, including fees, exploded by 40%, resulting in a new record high. The average bottle went under the digital hammer for 194 Euros (+39%).
Burgundy continues to be the powerhouse
The French premium origins Bordeaux, Burgundy and the Rhône accounted for the lion's share of the auctions with 7% of volume and 83.6% of the sales. Domaine d'Auvenay from Burgundy achieved the highest value in the winery category with 386 bottles auctioned, which fetched a total of €2.1m - €5,464 per bottle. The most expensive reference was the Burgundian Musigny Grand Cru 2006 from Domaine Leroy, which changed owners for €34,100.
Burgundy remains the most important region on the online platform in terms of sales. The value increased by 65%, averaging €384 per Burgundy reference. Yet, the region accounts for only 22% of the auctions volume. In contrast, wine from Bordeaux was traded the most frequently (36.6% of the volume).
Suprising winners
In the country ranking, France is followed by Italy, Spain, the U.S., and Germany. German Rieslings have performed very well. For example, the second most expensive bottle outside France and Italy was a 2005 Riesling Trocken G Max from Keller (Rheinhessen), which was auctioned for €1,984. Egon Müller also secured a place on the list of the 20 most expensive wineries outside of France and Italy.
Meanwhile, among the wines with the highest sales are an increasing number of organic and biodynamic cuvées as well as natural wines, some of which have exceeded the €1,000 per bottle mark, such as Bizot, Selosse and Thierry Allemand. PD/AW
