1. Slide 2: Introduction
This presentation is to show you that wine, which was once just a drink to quench thirst and
accompany food, has over the years become one the hottest commodities on the auction front for
collectors who love the finer things in life. This presentation will take you through a brief history of
wine then to its place in the trade market, then from the auction block to people’s personal cellar
and finally to its place in the future of collection.
Slide 3: History of the Grape
Whilst there have been tools found from 8000bc that could have been used in viticulture, the
earliest evidence of wine been made and storedis 6000bc in Georgia where clay pots have been
found. It was until approximately 2000bc, when the pharaohs of Egypt became established that
viticulture and wine making began to flourish. Paintings on the walls of tombs suggest the making if
wine from grapes and storing it into clay jars. Some historians believe it is in this era that the wine
trade started and was a foundation for our modern economy.
Slide 4: History continued
The Egyptians seems to have passed their knowledge onto the ancient Greeks and by the end of
2000bc wine making and viticulture had become an important part of their culture. It was the
Greeks who spread their knowledge of the vine as they conquered new regions in the
Mediterranean, France, Italy and Spain. Already by this time people had recognised that there was a
wide range of varieties, and that each one needed different climate and soil to get the highest
quality taste and style.
Slide 5: Trade
The Romans saw that the trade of wine could be a great commodity. They started important trade
centres in Trier and Bordeaux. They would also ship wine by sea in clay containers, but these were
very heavy and often the boat would not be able to hold the weight of the containers. They also had
a habit of cracking, it was the use of wooden barrels that made the trade of wine really pick up.
In the 17th century coal furnaces were invented that were a lot hotter than any before them, this
lead to sand being able to be melted down into glass making thicker glass that could be used for
transport. It also meant that wine could be corked and left to age for much longer periods of time.(A
short history of wine bottles, 2009)
Slide 6 and 7: Auctions
Wine auctions have been around for hundreds of years, in 1766 Christie’s auction house in London
held its first auction, and among the items was a lot that included wine. During the war times there
were restrictions put in place on auctioning wine, so it was not until the 1960s that it began to be
seen as a luxury must have item. Many auctions are now held in exclusive restaurants where the
wines are often opened and drunk throughout the evening as a way to get the buyers relaxed and
eager to spend more. In the USA alone wine auction sales gross approximately $75million a
year.With the creation of online auctions it opened the wine world to a much larger market. It gives
the bidder time to research the product, and has also made it possible to buy wine that at one

2. timecould only be brought by the case to be now brought in much smaller quantities.(Broadbent and
Hermacinski, 2007).
Slide 8: Cult Wine
Cult wines are those trophy wines that are collected for investment rather than to drink. It is thought
that there are only 250 producers that make premier wine that is worth investing in, with 90% of
those wines coming from the Bordeaux region. These wines are often very hard to get hold of as
most of the wineries have close relationships with certain brokers, so those trying to start investing
find it a very hard nut to crack.(Cult wine, 2012).
Slide 10: The Dark Side
Like any industry when there is a lot of money involved there is going to be people trying to make
that bit extra. The collectable wine industry is no different. With large amounts of money on the line
some people are going to extreme lengths to get their share. Label fraud became a big problem in
the 19th century when phyllorexa was rife and it was becoming more difficult to find expensive
wines, to try stop this governments introduced appellations to try control what regions were being
put onto the label. (Broadbent and Hermacinski, 2007). One of the most famous cases of wine fraud
was the Thomas Jefferson bottles. These were brought in 1998 for $500,000us and were then found
to have never been owned by Jefferson, and that the engravings that were thought to have
authenticated the bottles were actually done by modern equipment.(Steinberger,2012.)
Slide 11: Current Industry for us
With changes to everyday people’s income most consumers are looking for a reasonably priced
bottle of wine to have at dinner rather than that something special. The quality over quantity
argument still battles on, but new technology in the industry means that the wine of higher quality
can be made at a cheaper price. Supermarkets still are in the leading place to purchase wine as most
people still see wine and food as paired together.
Slide 12: Current industry for them
For the collectors world things are not looking quite so rosy, the economic crisis hitting Europe and a
slowing in the USA market has been noticed in the wine trade. The Asian market though has not
been hit has hard, wine collectors throughout the area spend $200million in the first half of 2011
alone, there is a worry that this is just a new fad, but only time can tell.(Nick, 2011)
Slide 13: Where to Now?
With the wine industry constantly changing and adapting to the current trends there even more of a
struggle to stay on top. With supermarkets offering a wider selection of wines at very competitive
prices this is seeing the boutique wine producers feeling the pinch. These retailers now have to
come up with new and innovative ways to stay strong in the market.(Bryant,2012).Consumption of
wine in Asia has grown significantly over the last ten years and it’s these newer markets that are
going to help the industry continue to grow. Education of the younger generation is key, as it will be
these people with the means of investing in the future. (Nick, 2011).

3. Slide 14: Conclusion
The world of wine has changed a lot since its beginnings, and these changes have opened it up to an
entire new industry. As long as there is a demand for a nice glass of wine this is sure to be people
who are willing to go the extra mile to buy it. Current global trends are sure to have an impact, but
as long as the want or need is there it is an industry that will continue to grow.