Page 26 - Ocean Blue World 26th Edition

FROM THE CHAIRMAN
Whiskey And Wine Auctions
Arenewed thirst for fine wine and whiskey came online this year, and auctions have transformed to adjust to a click-and-ship landscape. The auction room is a virtual room where online buyers trust
what they can’t see, hear or taste when bidding on high-end whisky and wines.
But risks reap rewards and most of us won’t be throwing down $1.9 million — the highest price ever paid— for The Macallan’s 60-year old 1926 vintage. This, the second time a whisky bottle broke an auction record. Two years ago, a bottle from that same Macallan vintage sold for $1.2 million at Christie’s in London.
Who is buying? Auctions have tried new digital strategies to reach different audiences and it is working. This year, nearly
Photos Courtesy Of: Macallan Sotheby
half of Sotheby’s drink buyers were first-timers and their customer base keeps getting younger. Last March, when Sotheby’s sold more than four million dollars of collectable wine and spirits online in less than six hours, over half of their bidders were under age 40.
The good news for collectors of any age is that fine wine and whiskey are easily liquidated in times of need, such as ushering in a new year.
Dieter Esch Chairman
Macallan's 60-years old
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