Fine Wine Prices Rebound in Early 2026

Fine wine prices rose sharply in the first quarter of 2026, with Burgundy leading the market and several independent reports pointing to a broad recovery after a three-year correction, according to a market bulletin published by Rue Pinard on Friday.

The bulletin said the WMJ150 index, which tracks asking prices across 150 widely traded wines, gained 2.31% in the quarter. Champagne rose 9.92%, White Burgundy Premier Cru climbed 9.67% and Rhône advanced 7.01%, while Burgundy remained the strongest region across multiple measures. Acker’s Fine & Rare Index rose 11.3% in the quarter, with Burgundy up 20.7%, far ahead of Bordeaux at 5.4% and Champagne at 3.1%.

Rue Pinard said the data from ten market sources pointed to the same conclusion: the fine wine downturn that began in 2022 and lasted through 2024 has ended, and a new positive cycle started in late 2025 and accelerated in early 2026. The firm said the pattern was visible not only in auction results but also in secondary-market trading and exchange activity.

The report cited strong auction results in New York and Europe as evidence of renewed demand for top-tier bottles. At Acker’s La Paulée auction in New York in late March, sales topped $25 million and produced 460 world-record prices, including a bottle of 1945 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Romanée-Conti that sold for $812,500, the highest price ever paid for a bottle of wine at auction.

In Paris, iDealwine reported that Burgundy accounted for 41.3% of its sales by value in 2025, the highest share in its history. Its March auction also showed strong bidding for mature Bordeaux and large-format bottles, including a magnum of 1945 Château Mouton-Rothschild that sold for €32,802, or 162% above estimate.

The bulletin said mature vintages were drawing particular interest across regions. Wine Market Journal’s MATURE index rose 9.64% in the quarter, while its CHAMP50 index gained 9.92%. The report said this reflected demand for wines at or near peak drinking windows, especially older Bordeaux and Burgundy.

Rue Pinard also pointed to signs of a generational shift among buyers. Sotheby’s reported earlier this year that about half of its wine buyers are now under 50, while iDealwine said the share of wines sold that were more than ten years old fell to 55% in 2025 from 69% in 2024, suggesting newer collectors are entering the market with different buying habits.

The firm said its own monitoring of the London Fine Wine Exchange showed continued strength this week. On Friday morning, it recorded eleven new Screaming Eagle listings, five Domaine Leroy items withdrawn at more than €23,000 IB each and three positive price revisions for Petrus lots. It said those moves suggested persistent buyer pressure even as sellers returned inventory to market.

The bulletin also noted that Bordeaux en primeur pricing for the 2025 vintage is expected to be more disciplined than in past years because négociants are increasingly refusing allocations that are not substantially pre-sold. That shift could push châteaux to set release prices closer to secondary-market levels, which would widen the gap between new releases and mature stock already held in bond.

For investors and collectors, Rue Pinard said the combination of rising prices, lower volatility than equities and stronger liquidity in blue-chip wines made fine wine look more attractive than it has in several years. For hospitality buyers, it said Champagne remained one of the most liquid categories, while mature Bordeaux and Burgundy offered reliable list-building options without the uncertainty of en primeur pricing.

The bulletin was based on reports from Acker, Wine Market Journal, iDealwine, Cult Wines, Sotheby’s, Christie's, Zachys, Bonhams, Liv-ex and other market sources, along with Rue Pinard’s own monitoring of exchange activity in London.