Category Archives: Blog

What a difference a year makes.  At this time last year, we were seeing the light of the recession’s end, and now we are seeing real signs of economic progress (e.g., new claims for unemployment are falling).  As the economy has gradually improved, wine sales have more than improved, particularly fine wine sales.  On February [...]

While visiting Château Rieussec this past spring, as a guest of Mr. Charles Chevalier, Director of Domaine Barons de Rothschild and personally in charge of Château Lafite, L’Évangile, Duhart-Milon and Rieussec, I was fortunate to have the opportunity to taste some of the monumental wines of Sauternes paired with adventurous counterparts beyond the typical pigeon-hole [...]

In 2008, The Hong Kong government introduced a zero-rated tax for its import of wine and beer. This move has created an explosive transformation within the country. Total wine imports increased by 80% in 2008, 41% in 2009, and 73% in 2010. The sale of fine wine in Hong Kong had already exceeded HK$ 5 [...]

Have you ever wondered why vintages of a wine vary so much in price? If you are trying to buy wine or sell wine, you may be asking this question.  The laws of supply and demand easily explain those variations in terms of wine quantity, but not so easily in terms of wine quality. What constitues [...]

An absurd question at the first glance perhaps, but a legitimate one nevertheless in light of the latest wine auction trends not just in Asia but worldwide as well. There is no doubt that the stormy winds in the sails of Lafite prices has finally calmed to a gentle breeze. Although other great Bordeaux are [...]

Fine and Rare Wines with heart are captivating, especially during February, a month that exudes romanticism.  Arguably, the most quintessential and historic example of a wine with heart in the world of fine wine is the Third Growth of Château Calon-Ségur in Saint-Estèphe.  It is interesting to note that the Marquis de Ségur, Nicolas-Alexandre, also [...]

Like the Cheshire cat, you may be curiouser and curiouser about whether or not you should buy wine via our wine auction.  If you are thinking of buying at auction or have registered to bid but never done so, here are a few reasons why you should participate in a wine auction:   You will [...]

Very well put by Mark Twain: “Too much of anything is bad, but too much Champagne is just right.”  Champagne is the ultimate liquid luxury – nothing compares. With new selections added almost daily, our WineGavel auction features over dozens of lots of great Champagne. Absolutely pristine bottle prices range from $18 “Buy Now” halves, to [...]

“As reported when I first tasted the 2006s from barrel, there are many fine wines, especially from the top terroirs… If they love Bordeaux, consumers should be able to take a position on the finest 2006s… they will be delicious wines for drinking over the next two decades – where chosen wisely.” – Robert Parker, Wine [...]

Here I am, in Chapel Hill, NC sitting just outside a gorgeous but empty cellar. The collection that resided in this stately Southern mansion is a broadly diverse and fascinating variety of some of the top producers worldwide, a true reflection of the owners’ sophistication. Him, a software entrepreneur and her, a “mentor capitalist”, this [...]