Global wine-auction sales reached $159.21 million in the second quarter of 2026, down 21% year on year but well above the same period in 2023 and 2024. Auction houses reported a market showing signs of recovery, though buyers remained selective. Strong vintages, excellent condition and clear provenance mattered: exceptional wines sold well, while weaker examples often needed discounts.
Acker Merrall & Condit led the quarter with $45.6 million in sales, 2% lower than a year earlier. Hart Davis Hart took second place, up 30% to $27.5 million. All four of its 2026 auctions sold out, and each set world records. Its May Burgundy sale brought in $14.7 million, including $95,600 for a 2015 Domaine Leroy Musigny—the highest price ever paid at auction for a single bottle of Domaine Leroy.
Swiss auction house Steinfels also had a strong quarter, with sales exceeding $20 million. It reported growing demand for vintage Champagne, large formats and leading Swiss wines.
Zachys’ sales declined 35% year on year, but its hammers rose 50% from the end of 2025 and its average sell-through rate was 95%. Burgundy, California and Bordeaux remained its largest categories, with wines from those regions averaging 8–10% above estimate. The auction house also noted strong competition for exceptional bottles beyond the most famous names.
Bonhams recorded $7.9 million in Q2. The house said collectors were increasingly cautious but continued to show robust interest in rare wines and spirits with exceptional provenance.
Standout results
The average price of the top auction lot in the first half of 2026 was $51,460, down 29.6% from last year but up 8.9% from 2024.
One of the quarter’s biggest sales was an experience rather than a single wine: “The Vice, Imperial Morocco: A Royal Experience” sold for $320,000 at Sotheby’s Napa Valley Auction. The package includes a private trip to Morocco for two, plus 60 bottles of 2026 The Vice single-vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon. The buyer will choose the wine’s batch from a single barrel or blend and name the wine.
Provenance and rarity drove several other notable prices. At Sotheby’s New York in April, a magnum of Château Lafite Rothschild 1870 from Glamis Castle sold for $200,000, setting a record for the vintage and format. A bottle of Lafite 1865 brought $40,000.
Burgundy also made headlines. In June, a barrel of 2023 Comte Liger-Belair Vosne-Romanée sold for HK$1.9 million—about US$243,000—at Acker in Hong Kong, setting a record for Vosne-Romanée.
The quarter’s results reflect a market where enthusiasm persists but is focused on exceptional provenance, rare formats and unusual experiences. With average top-lot prices lower, buyers appear willing to compete for outstanding wines while taking a more measured approach elsewhere.
Upcoming auctions
- Zachys Hong Kong — October 16
- Christie’s Los Angeles — October 27–November 10
- Christie’s London — November 4–18
- Sotheby’s Beaune — November 15
- Christie’s Hong Kong — November 20
- Sotheby’s New York — December 13
- Besch Cannes — December 27–29
Dates were correct at the time of publication and may change.