The United States Illinois and Napa Valley wines sales allow commercial wine auctions. Online wine sales, Napa Valley style is allowed as well. In New York, which is a very nice place for an auction, are in the process of passing bills to permit port wine sales and auctions, but with little success. Chicago is one place where California wines and wine sales are quite rigorous and people travel from all over just to get in on the bargains. Britain, where wine auctions and wine cellars are open regularly throughout the fall and winter, have retail wine chains that have flourished. One particular chain has taken over one of the wine retailers on the American West Coast.

The British wine Trade sees the wine auctions as a way of stimulating interest in wines generally and increases sales for everybody. Of course, in Australia, you will find plenty of wine auctions, especially online. There are large online wine communities who share tasting notes and critiques amongst themselves, such as the Auswine discussion forum. You do not even need to leave the comfort of your armchair to enjoy the benefits of an online wine auction.

Wine Auction Bidding and Tasting Tips

Before you set out in the real world or online, plan out the items you want to bid on and the amount you are willing to pay. Research previous wine auctions to get a good idea of prices so your maximum bids will be fair and stand you in stead to win. Always try and attend the pre-auction tasting, sometimes end of line mixed cases can be a superb buy, keep an eye open for that. The trade bidders are not so interested in those.

Attend a wine warehouse tasting so that you can get a taste of the brands available, then you will get a good grasp on what you are bidding rather than bidding in the dark. You might also want to form a consortium between like-minded friends and family to buy in bulk. That way your bids will be more powerful and you can see that as a return in more bottles or reduced rates of purchase.

Preferences between online and offline auctions are personal. However, the approach to prepare should be the same. Map out what you are looking to accomplish on paper first. Jot down your bids for preferred lots and write down the final selling prices so that you can judge your own efforts. Avoid jumping into the bidding blind. Wait and watch until you are confident that you know what is going on. Always bring a designated driver if you are going to be doing any wine tasting so that you, your bottles, and your friends get home in one piece.

So you can see wine auctions are not about perceived social standing, they are the places to go to get bargains! A representative for a well-known international auction house recently said “I think online wine auctions are still in their infancy.” A good opportunity not to be missed, make sure you research well and just do it!