Fine Wine Auctions Gain Ground in 2025

The global market for fine wine auctions kept growing in 2025 even as alcohol consumption continued to soften in many countries, according to iDealwine’s annual barometer, a report released Thursday that tracks online sales of rare wines and spirits. The Paris-based auction house said it sold more than 300,000 bottles last year, up 18.5% in volume and 9% in value, for a total of 42.4 million euros. The average price per bottle fell 8% to 137 euros.

The report points to a market that is still expanding but becoming more selective. Burgundy remained the most valuable region in auction sales, accounting for 41.3% of total value, while Bordeaux led in volume with 34%. The average bottle price in Burgundy was 212 euros, down 15% from 2024. The Rhône held third place in both value and volume, helped by younger vintages and strong demand for producers such as Emmanuel Reynaud, whose wines accounted for 4,813 bottles sold at auction and more than 1 million euros in value.

Domaine de la Romanée-Conti was the most traded name overall, with 514,000 bottles sold for 1.9 million euros. The most expensive lot was a jeroboam, or 3-liter bottle, of Petrus 2010 from Bordeaux that sold for 27,043 euros. The priciest single bottle was a Musigny Grand Cru 2006 from Domaine Leroy, which changed hands for 25,416 euros.

Italy continued to play a significant role in the auction market. Italian fine wines made up 51% of all non-French wines sold at auction in 2025, with more than 10,000 bottles sold, up 33%, and total value approaching 1 million euros, up 37%. The average price of an Italian bottle rose 2% to 96 euros. The record Italian sale was a Sassicaia 1985 from Tenuta San Guido, which fetched 2,629 euros.

The report shows that collectors still favor red wines. Reds represented 72% of traded volume and 71.4% of value worldwide. White wines have been gaining ground and reached 20% of volume in 2025. Interest in older vintages also appears to be easing slightly: wines more than 10 years old still made up 55% of bottles sold at auction, but that category fell 14% from the previous year.

Organic and biodynamic wines drew stronger attention. They accounted for 30% of auction volume and 36% of value in 2025, according to iDealwine.

In Italy, the pattern was even more pronounced. Reds accounted for 95% of volume and 97% of total value sold at auction. Older vintages dominated as well: 41% of bottles sold were more than 20 years old, while another 24% came from vintages between 2006 and 2015. iDealwine said that reflects collectors’ confidence in the aging potential of top Italian wines.

Piemonte remained Italy’s leading region at auction by volume with a 60% share, followed by Tuscany at 21%. Veneto, Abruzzo and Sicily also gained ground. Among the most sought-after Italian producers were Giovan Battista Burlotto, Giacomo Conterno, Giuseppe Rinaldi, Bartolo Mascarello, Angelo Gaja and Roberto Voerzio. Tuscany dominated the list of the most desired individual wines, led by Sassicaia but also including Brunello di Montalcino labels from Soldera and Biondi-Santi, Stella di Campalto’s wines, Ornellaia from Tenute dell’Ornellaia and Montevertine’s IGT Toscana.

The report also noted renewed interest in Emidio Pepe from Abruzzo after four years out of the top ranks among Italian producers. Quintarelli and Bertani from Valpolicella and Frank Cornelissen from Etna also remained among the names drawing collector attention.