German Wine Auctions: “La Creme de la Creme”


Each September a series of events takes place in the heart of Germany’s prime vineyard regions that make “Oktoberfest” look like a bad idea. To begin with, we’re talking about great wine not high alcohol beer and some of the greatest estates in the entire world of fine wine production. Unlike the beer bash in Bavaria, these events are anything but a “free for all” that determines one’s drinking limitations but rather auctions that offer absolutely no limitations vis a vis quality and, in recent years, price. These are amongst the most exclusive auction events in the whole of the rare wine market and by far and away the most unique. The reason is that the format is completely different than all other auctions in that one tastes each lot during the actual sale just before it is hammered down! If other auctions were to do this the process would literally take days to complete.


The other key difference is that, while it is a public event, one must bid through a designated agent or “Weinkomissionaer”; similar to a “Negociant” in France. There are no bidder paddles to be seen. The agent stands before the podium with several other agents and divides up each given lot according to quantity and price. For example, say Egon Müller offers 600 bottles of his 2007 Scharzhofberger Kabinett and the opening price is 15 Euros. Buyers determine the limits they are willing to pay and the quantities they wish to purchase. The auctioneer gradually raises the price until people drop out as their limits are exceeded. The remaining bidders essentially divide up the bottles between the various agents and the lot is sold. Typically Herr Müller’s wine would reach a final price of around 50-60 Euros, depending on the quality of the given wine versus how much is available. It’s wild! It also takes generally about five to six hours to knock down a mere 60 lots but the consumer has the unique opportunity to taste each wine ( with the exception of ultra rare lots where only one bottle or just a few are offered ) at least twice: at the pre-tasting in the morning and during the auction itself. I know of no other auction format in the world quite like Germany.


Until recently, there were five sales, all in the space of about six days, so one could attend them all within a week which was very convenient for those of us traveling great distances. There was also a day off in between the two Mosel auctions and the three Rhein sales but that is sadly no longer the case. In recent years, the Rheingau VDP and Staatsweingut auctions, which were previously on consecutive days, have been combined into one sale in order to guarantee maximum attendance. The Bernkasteler Ring starts things off on a Thursday followed by the most significant event being the Grosser Ring in Trier on Friday. It is typically the best attended and receives the greatest press treatment both in Germany as well as abroad. The prices realized are usually the highest across the board. On Saturday, the newly combined Staatsweingut/Rheingau VDP auction takes place in the 11th century monastery at Kloster Eberbach just outside the town of Hattenheim in the heart of the Rheingau. This too has become very well attended since the two events were been combined. The final auction occurs on Sunday in Bad Kreuznach in an auditorium full of ancient Roman ruins and comprises red wines from the Ahr and whites from the Nahe. It is the shortest event of the four although last year its length was increased by the inclusion of a handful of exclusive estates from the Rheinpfalz and Rheinhessen. Because it features the wines from the great Dönnhoff estate, it has been nicknamed the “Dönnhoff Auction”!


All the wines offered at these auctions are the very finest cuvees from each winery and are only offered at these sales. They may be also sold after the auctions if the producer has decided to hold back a specific quantity to offer to special customers later on. There is no regulation regarding this practice and it is up to the discretion of the individual estate. Generally speaking, as in a low yield vintage such as 2006, there isn’t enough quantity to hold back and the prices tend to be extremely high. Demand for the 2006s was great and the prices reflected that.


Rare wine auctions offer opportunities for consumers and the trade alike to acquire the very finest wines from the very finest properties around the world. These German wine auctions are THE most exclusive ones in all of the fine wine market and the prices typically reflect that. There is no secondary chance to buy these wines and we take great pleasure in being able to make these ultra rare and amazing wines available to our clients. CHEERS!


Dade