Percent of Wine Purchases from Auctions

As I’m getting older, I’m finding that my purchases from auction sites is increasing year to year. Last year, over a third of my purchases were from places like Spectrum, Winebid, Heritage and K&L auctions. Partly because I want wines with some age and party because I can find deals, I have shifted more and more of my purchases. Plus, being in SoCal, I can pick them up directly at their locations (with the exception of Winebid).

I know the risks are a bit higher for flawed bottles because of potential provenance issues, but the ability to get bottles with 15 to 20+ years of age on them is worth the risk.

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My percentage is probably lower than during COVID and also the early 2000s, when you could find all kinds of great deals. But I still find a good number of interesting wines at attractive prices. Obviously there is a risk, but I have bought over 1,000 bottles over the last 25 years from Winebid and Brentwood combined and have probably had 10 bottles that were in worse condition than expected or that had problems. And I have been extremely surprised with some of the cheap bottles I’ve acquired.

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Over 50%

Probably 30%. I’ve purchased a lot of aged Burgundy from iDeal Wine in France and shipped to Seattle for very reasonable prices. Out of the 40 bottles opened over the last 2 years, I’ve only had one miss and based on tasting the wine I strongly believe it was a producer issue with premature oxidation and not something I would attribute to iDeal Wine.

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0%

I have bought from auction exactly twice in my life. The last time was about 15 years ago.

I have nothing against auctions except a deep commitment to perfect provenance.

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Out of curiosity, what’s your definition of perfect provenance? I would argue that perfect provenance only applies to wines purchased at the domaine which are then hand delivered to your cellar. If they have been through the retail supply chain your still at the mercy of heat damage along multiple points in the journey to your home cellar.

I prioritize provenance as much as possible, and it’s definitely something that is on my mind when buying at auction. Idea Wine provides a general description, and they will email you more details when requested. One thing that gives me more confidence is more often than not you are buying wines that have never left France, that are then shipped to your City via Air Freight.

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I just recently completed my second auction purchase. My very first auction purchase was this past fall. A case each occasion.

The vast majority of my purchases the past five years have been direct from the winery, all of which were located on the U.S. west coast (mostly Oregon, but also Washington and California). Like David, I like the provenance that comes the direct purchase approach (I still can’t help but wonder just how many of my previously purchased wines from Chateauneuf had been subjected to prolonged heat exposure on their journey to my cellar) and doubt I’ll ever depart from that approach at this point.

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Probably a little more extreme than I should have written, but I don’t generally trust that all the prior owners of a bottle of wine truly took care of it. Couple that with the fact that I don’t really need to patronize auctions, and it’s very easy to completely ignore that they exist. I get a little FOMO once in a while, but it quickly passes.

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This has been the trend for me as well as my list buys have become more focused. I also prefer case buys for storage purposes. The downside is I can’t remember the last time I was in a brick and mortar shop, and that limits discovery.

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Nearly 0% for me. I bought a few things last year but only recent vintage (2019-2021).

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Almost zero now, though I used to buy more in my early days, and Jonathan bought quite a bit when he worked for Zachys auctions and assessed the collections himself. Provenance is very important, and the best way to come close to guaranteeing it is by buying from trusted sources on release. I’ve had some great successes buying from auction, don’t get me wrong, I am just more risk averse now. And more patient.

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13% in 2024.
I need less storage when I can buy aged bottles. I don’t worry about provenance issues. I’ve had more corked bottles buying direct, but the maker has always made good so that’s really the only risk in my mind.
Too many great deals to not buy at auction.
Mostly Winebid and Sprectrum. Used to buy from K&L, but had shipping issues with them so I stopped.

Cork has nothing to do with provenance.

Right, but I can’t return a corked bottle from auction. I can if bought direct. Hence why I said it’s a risk.

Unreturnable corked bottles are not the risk of buying at auction. The risk of buying at auction is poor storage, and one dismisses provenance at one’s own peril. Sadly, no matter what it says in the catalog about “removed from a temperature controlled cellar,” you really don’t know where those bottles have been, or how many times they’ve changed hands before getting into that cellar just before you bought them. Anyone who has ever purchased from one of the truly great collections, with rightly lauded provenance, knows how much younger and fresher those bottles are than even sounds bottles from most other sources.

I am not saying don’t buy at auction - I have done it myself and had some very good luck - but the risks are real.

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All my experiences to the contrary.

I agree and think most people who don’t really concern themselves with provenance haven’t had the opportunity to taste wines with age from perfect provenance enough to realize the difference. People often talk about their hit rate like it’s a bit of a crapshoot and is normal to have special bottles that just don’t show. Stuff like “there’s no good wines only good bottles.”

It’s not that the saying is untrue, but other than cork issues, I’ve found the hit rate on perfect provenance wines is unbelievably high and they are just better. I’ve also been indoctrinated on the importance of provenance from @Brad_England. :laughing:

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Brad knows what he’s talking about, though I will say I met @Brad_England years ago, and have seen him mostly over the years, at auctions. :wink:

Lots of people have good experiences, but to say that risk doesn’t exist because all your auction purchases have been sound is like a smoker who never got cancer saying that smoking is safe.

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I didn’t say it was perfectly safe. I said I don’t worry about provenance issues. Maybe it’s just the wines I am buying or maybe I can’t detect “perfect” provenance.
Having bought gray market wines for years, I just enjoy the hunt, the value and don’t worry if it doesn’t show as perfect. Likely most wine consumers outside of maybe a few on here, would ever really know.

Never bought a bottle at auction. At this point it looks as though I never will

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