A wine auction is of course an auction devoted to wine, sometimes in combination with other alcoholic beverages. If there’s a great deal of bickering and arguing at these events, then it’s maybe called a wine auction? There are two basic types of wine auctions: first hand wine auctions, where wineries sell their own wines, and second hand wine auctions, arranged by auction houses or other auctioneers to make it possible for any owners of wine to trade it. In most cases, the wines traded at wine auctions are collectible wine, so-called “fine wine”.

These are wines which are typically suitable for extended cellaring, and where some of the buyers are looking for mature wines which are no longer available through first. First hand wine auctions are usually arranged by wine industry organizations, and fill promotional or charitable purposes, or are used to gauge the market. The wines sold at such auctions are usually special lot wines, or back vintages stored. An example of such auctions is the annual wine auction held by Hospices de Beaune in Burgundy, where Burgundy wines from vineyards donated to the Hospices de Beaune are auctioned off by the barrel, and often bought by dealers who bottle and sell the wines to the consumer market.