Winemaking is a special art. If you do not consider it on a global industrial scale, then, like any creative process, it generates both masterpieces and ordinary creations. Like some other works of art, this amazing drink has become the subject of investment and collection of rare samples of the most expensive wine. What product is considered especially expensive? What makes me evaluate one bottle in a fortune? And why does another wine, even of excellent quality, cost much less?
Important factors
Wine is the result of the fermentation of grape berries. Its quality can vary greatly depending on the climate, soil, age and genetics of the vines, and most importantly, on the skill of the winemaker. Every year, climate changes, affecting the final product. But the soil and genetics of the vine, as a rule, remain unchanged. Grape seedlings continue to grow, each year giving an ever smaller yield, but at the same time the taste of the fruit becomes more intense. As in any other profession, some winemakers show more talent and skills than others. All these factors affect the evaluation of the drink after the final testing of its quality and value. However, even impeccable properties do not make wine the most expensive.
Grading system in the Old and New World
Each of the European producing countries is trying to classify the taste and quality of wine, determining the technology and yield that should be observed in specific regions. For certain territories and vineyards entrenched historical glory. Therefore, the quality of the beverage produced in these regions is determined immediately. To do this, just look at the label.
New World wines are not subject to such a classification system, which determines which producers, plantations or regions have historically given quality drinks. This monitoring is carried out only by tasting the product by specialists, the results of which are covered in the specialized press. Thus, the predominant value of a drink in the United States today is determined. But this does not make any wine the most expensive.
Auctions
Most bottles of quality wine are sold at specialized auctions, where basically the final indicator of the value of the product is established - the monetary value. Every serious collector, investor or appraiser must have the results of these tenders, as well as current retail prices for the most popular wines, in order to determine the correct value of the goods at any time. Collecting this data is a difficult task that professionals who offer regular pricing lists do. These documents make it possible to judge not only about the most expensive wine, but also about the most promising drink in terms of investment.
Many of the auctions around the world are held as charity events, where the price of wine can be exaggerated due to the desire to donate a larger amount than the lot actually costs. This happened, for example, with a 1992 cabernet harvest from California-based producer Screaming Eagle.
"Icon" of American production
Screaming Eagle - a young winery in the Napa Valley, producing a limited number (about 6000 bottles) of varietal wine per year. Due to their small production volumes and high prices, their product is considered a cult product in the United States. The first wine was released in 1990 and received a high expert rating: 99 points out of a hundred. Initially, the cost of the bottle by the manufacturer was estimated at $ 50. To the consumer (in shops, clubs and restaurants) wine came at a price of $ 1,000–2,000 per bottle. In 2003, Screaming Eagle valued its products at $ 300, and its final cost after all intermediary operations reached 5000.
In 2000, a six-liter bottle of Screaming Eagle cabernet was purchased for $ 497,000 at a charity auction held in Napa. She became the most expensive bottle of wine ever sold. But this drink cannot be considered the most expensive, since its packaging was several times higher than the standard.
High pricing
Limited annual wine production, a high expert rating, press reviews, good advertising - this is the basis for the prestige and high prices of products not only of Screaming Eagle, but also of most modern productions in the USA and Europe, whose brands have become objects of veneration and wine fetish.
The cost of a drink may not always be an objective indicator of its quality. This is especially true for the products of the New World, where the cult of the most expensive wine in the world is flourishing, and the main factor in pricing is demand. Many wines are considered luxurious thanks to advertising and promotion in the press, which is either too poorly informed or is afraid to express a true opinion. Huge prices provide these industries with a position in the "major league" of winemaking in the world market. Although value is not a guarantee of taste, such wines are quickly sold, which increases their value.
Historical bottle
If we talk about wine auctions not charity, but commercial, then periodically put up for auction unique copies, the cost of which amounts to hundreds of thousands of euros or dollars. Such a striking example is the historical wonder - the 1907 champagne of the famous brand Heidsieck Champagne. In 1998, a batch of a drink called Diamant Bleu was found in the hold of the Swedish cargo ship Jönköping, which sank from a German torpedo entering the waters of the Gulf of Finland in 1916. The ship was chartered to deliver alcohol to the Russian imperial court via neutral Sweden. About 2,000 bottles, well preserved in cold waters, were raised to the surface and sold at a number of auctions around the world, including Moscow. One lot was bought for 213,000 pounds, but it did not become the most expensive bottle of wine in the world.
Legendary Claret
In 2010, the 1947 Bordeaux masterpiece Cheval Blanc bottled received the title of not only the most valuable single bottle ever bought at auction, but also the most expensive red wine. It is considered legendary because of the atypical, but surprisingly rich taste inherent in the drinks of the Bordeaux region. Many experienced tasters claim that this is not only the best “Cheval Blank” of the 20th century, but also the most excellent claret of this century.
In 1947, 110,000 bottles of this rare drink were produced, based on equal proportions of French cabernet and merlot. At that time, the cost of wine was 15-50 old francs per bottle. In 2010, one of them was sold to a private collector in Geneva at Christie's auction for £ 235,000.