While the consumer wine market continues to struggle to shake off a prolonged slowdown, the fine wine collecting market is showing renewed signs of momentum.
The evidence comes first from the Liv-Ex indices, which have posted a slight recovery in recent months, with Italy leading the charge among producing countries. It's also confirmed by the record-breaking first half of 2026 reported by some of the world's leading auction houses — a signal that, at the very top of the market, confidence and capital are returning.
Acker and Sotheby's post historic numbers
Historic American house Acker Wines closed the best first half in its history, posting the highest auction volume ever recorded between January and June and capturing 42% of global market share, for a total of $125 million. Sotheby's Wine & Spirits, the wine division of the London-based auction house, matched that momentum with a record first half of its own: 13,000 lots sold across 29 auctions for a combined $49.2 million, with a 94% hammer rate — a figure that points to strong, consistent demand rather than a handful of standout lots.
Sotheby's raises the stakes with "Nightcap" in New York
These numbers look set to climb further. From September 16 to 19, Sotheby's will stage its "Nightcap" series in New York — five auctions paired with a curated program of experiences aimed at top collectors, producers, and enthusiasts. The house has assembled one of its most striking catalogs yet, with over $10 million in exceptional wines and spirits on offer. Among the lots expected to generate the most buzz: six magnums of Henri Jayer's 1993 Vosne-Romanée Cros Parantoux, estimated between $190,000 and $260,000; a six-liter mathusalem of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti's 2002 Romanée-Conti, estimated at $150,000 to $200,000; and a dedicated Château Haut-Brion lot featuring winery tours and eight historic vintages spanning 1935 to 2009, housed in a console created by Linley to mark the 75th anniversary of the Dillon family's purchase of the château, estimated between $130,000 and $260,000.
Italy holds its own in a largely French catalog
These are just a few highlights from a monumental catalog that skews heavily French but is far from short on Italian gems. A 12-bottle lot of Soldera Case Basse's 1991 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva is estimated between $8,000 and $11,000, just above its near-identical 11-bottle counterpart. Also drawing strong estimates is a six-bottle lot of Bruno Giacosa's 1990 Barbaresco Riserva, priced between $5,000 and $7,500, while a 12-bottle lot of 2005 Sassicaia carries an estimate of $3,000 to $3,700. Beyond these, the catalog runs deep with Italian icons — from Bartolo Mascarello to Giacomo Conterno, from Antinori's Tignanello and Solaia to Frescobaldi's Masseto and Ornellaia — underscoring how firmly Italian fine wine has cemented its place on the global collecting stage.
Source: WineNews