Nature of the wine valuation problem Establishing the current value of your wine collection is more difficult than valuing a public securities portfolio. Even relatively illiquid securities have a quoted bid-ask price which can be used as an “arms-length” fair market value. Valuing wine is more complicated because:
- Every combination of a wine name, vintage, and bottle size represents a unique item to be valued (even if one ignores condition issues) which generates an enormous number of items.
- The produced quantity of any item is often quite small, which limits the potential transactions which can be measured to benchmark a value.
- Transaction data is not centralized in one place. The best sources are wine search engines like Winesearcher.com for retail asking prices and Vinfolio’s Wine Price File for major auction house transaction data.
The difference between transaction prices and asking prices
Normally, the basis for establishing fair market value for any item uses transaction data as this means that the buyer and seller ultimately agreed on a price. Retail prices shown on Winesearcher.com are asking prices and are usually higher than completed transaction values from auctions.
A retail asking price is not a confirmation that a wine is selling. Moreover, some retailers routinely start with a high price and then gradually reduce the price over time if a wine does not sell. Therefore, at any given time, one has no idea whether the retail prices quoted on Winesearcher actually represent prices at which a wine is being successfully sold (which is the true test of fair market value).
How does one reconcile these differences given that all wine is not sold at auction and retail data is more abundant? In part 2 of this topic, I’ll address how Vinfolio has tackled this issue in our free VinCellar online cellar management software.
I have about 200 assorted bottles of different assorted Italian ( mostly Italian) and French wine dating from 1954 a barolo from giouseppe contratto canelli till 1974 a borgogna Barizey saone Loire ( France)
How do I get a vautation of each wine?
Posted by
Linds at Thursday July 5, 2007
A bottle of Vosne-Romanee MALCONSORTS GRAND VIN DE BEURGOGNE was donated to our Foundation for a silent auction. I would like to find out its value. Thank you!
Posted by Donna Shaw at Tuesday July 10, 2007
We have been given three bottles of wine for a charity auction. What is the value, or are they way past?
1 jeroboam 1990 Robert Talbott Monterey Chardonnay
1 jeroboam 1980 Joseph Phelps Vineyards Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
1 jeroboam 1989 Sonoma-Cutter Founders Reserve Chardonnay, No. 47 of 250 bottles
Thank you.
Posted by Carole at Wednesday July 18, 2007
I have a sealed bottle of Vinho Verde Tamegao 1liter bottled by Companhia Portuguesa de Licores. Can you tell me what this bottle is worth. Thank you
Posted by Fred Winters at Thursday September 20, 2007
I have 1 bottle 1965 Chateau Semillon (Wente Bros. Winery) and 1 bottle 1988 Georges Dubeuf Chardonnay. I needed help finding their value.
Posted by Kim at Saturday October 27, 2007
I HAVE A BOTTLE OF 1973 ANTINORI BIANCO DELLA COSTA TOSCANA IN THE GREEN FISH BOTTLE
AND
1971 BESSI CHIANTI IN THE GREEN EAGLE BOTTLE (THERE IS ALOT OF ITALIAN WRITTING ON IT) THERE IS A STICKER ON THE BACK OF IT THAT SAYS IMPORTED BY CARLO KOVARICH LOS ANGELES CALIFORNIA 90032
DO U KNOW IF THESE R WORTH ANYTHING?
Posted by JENNIFER BOYLES at Thursday November 1, 2007
Have two bottle of 1964 Rheingau Rudesheimer Kiesel.Would like to find the value.Also would like to sell.
Posted by pat oneal at Saturday November 24, 2007
I have a bottle of 1992 Clos Joanne D'orion Pouilly-Fume'.
Apellation-Gitton Pe're & Fils from Loire, France. 750 ml. How much is it worth please?!
Posted by Kelly Hendricks at Thursday November 29, 2007
i have two bottles of 1983 german wine and have no idea of their value, if any. one bottle is Reingau Schloss Schonborn erbacher marcobrunn riesland auslese; the other is mosel 0 saar0ruwer scharxhofberger auslese riesling. can you tell me who or where to direct that question.
Posted by joan secatore at Sunday December 30, 2007
I have a bottle of wine.It is Saint-Emilion Grand Cru Classe CHATEAU L'ANGELUS 1984 #50832.I dont want to drink it.It might be worth some money.
I have a bottle of 1973 Stint-Louis Beujolais wine. Could you tell me the value of this wine and if is still a good bottle.
Posted by Carol Rygaard at Tuesday April 8, 2008
Hi I was recently given a bottle of wine by my in-laws. It is a 1979 Bourgogne Blanc Jadot, Reserve des Jacobins, from Louis Jadot. I have been trying to find out if we should drink it, hold on to it for a special occasion or hold on to it for a while.
Is the bottle worth anything?
Thank you
Ben
Posted by Ben at Saturday May 17, 2008
I have 1 bottle of Cuvee Dom Perignon, vintage 1969. The bottle is sealed and in a dark green bottle. The seal is gold in color. I am looking for the value?
Posted by Anonymous at Tuesday May 20, 2008
In 1979 I bought a bottle of Inglenook Cabernet Sauvignon. The label says "Vintage 1979 Estate Bottled" It came in a very nice metal box. Anybody have an idea of the value
Posted by Don Richmond at Sunday June 15, 2008
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