2018’s Leading Global Wine Merchant Now Offers Auctions on Demand for Aficionados
NEW YORK – September 3, 2019 – In response to increasing demand, Acker, 2018’s leading global wine auction house, is proud to announce the launch of weekly web auctions. Based in New York City, Hong Kong and most recently London, Acker is the only wine firm to offer this rare feature on a global scale.
Previously offered in a monthly format, surging consumer interest in fine and rare wine on both a consumption and investment level, and Acker’s passion for continually improving the wine auction experience, has led to the company’s launch this week of a weekly web auction format. Acker now offers burgeoning connoisseurs and avid investors alike the opportunity to bid on and monitor bids online seven days a week, fifty-two weeks a year. Simply put, there will always be a diverse, new selection of over $500,000 of fine and rare wine available every week. The first of the weekly auctions began on Sunday, September 1st and will close Sunday, September 8th. As soon as the week’s web sale closes on Sunday evenings at 8pm ET, a new one will begin just four hours later, and so on.
Acker began hosting web auctions in 2001 and sold just over 13,000 bottles across nearly 3,500 lots its first year. Since that first auction, Acker has offered over 1 million bottles of fine and rare wine in its web sales, composed across more than 500,000 lots. To give a sense of the current growth curve Acker is experiencing, in 2018 Acker offered nearly 105,000 bottles across 43,000 lots for web sales alone. Wines consigned to Acker rest in temperature-controlled warehouses in New York, Hong Kong and soon to be London (where live auction lots already are located), engaging bidders across 40 countries worldwide. Its “In Bond, In London” initiative, where the company offers wine, arranges storage and transfers to bonded warehouses in London, allows its clients to lay down investment wines unencumbered by taxes just like in Hong Kong.
“Every day the internet becomes a more powerful buying tool. As participation in all of our web platforms continues to increase year over year, the logical next step was to offer more web auctions to accommodate the growing interest,” noted Acker Chairman John Kapon. He continued, “it was our goal since we started wine auctions in the early aughts that one day we’d always have an auction happening 24/7, and now we’re finally doing it.”
Kapon further notes that, “Weekly web sales will allow Acker to showcase more individual collections. There are many noteworthy collections that aren’t seven figures, and this will allow more of them the spotlight they deserve. This platform is great for the buyer as well as the seller. More auctions mean a constant flow of fresh lots keeping things interesting. As America’s oldest wine merchant and the world’s leading wine auction house, we are proud to continue to lead our industry into the 21st century.” The first online auction which began Sunday, September 1st contains a captivating lineup including superstar producers and vintages of the top caliber, including bottles of 1971 & 1982 Chateau Petrus; magnums of 2003 Chateau Margaux; 2004 Corton Charlemagne by Coche-Dury; 2006 Montrachet from Domaine de la Romanee Conti; 1999 Rousseau Chambertin Clos de Beze and 1966 Macallan Single Malt Scotch 18 year as just a few examples. Acker is constantly accepting consignments for future auctions.
About Acker
Established in 1820, Acker is the oldest wine shop in America and the world’s largest fine and rare wine auction house. Since third generation wine merchant John Kapon, Chairman of Acker, started the auction business in 1998, the house has gained worldwide recognition. Acker offers a vast array of services, including cellar consultations, a deep retail inventory of fine and rare wine for immediate sale, first class wine education amenities, in-store tastings of high-end wines daily, and its ne plus ultra – fine and rare wine auctions.
