Want to Sell Off Some Bottles? Wine Lovers, Here Are Your Best 3 Options
Maybe you've acquired a few too many bottles, or inherited a cellar from someone whose taste in wine doesn't accord with your own. If you have wine you'd like to sell, one of the following options should suit your needs, whether you're a serious collector looking to offload buys from major-league makers and vintages by the lot or simply a wine lover ready to let go of individual bottles—for the right price.
A collector who has amassed too much grand cru Burgundy and first-growth Bordeaux might well turn to an auction house. Reputable, well-established options range from traditional houses like Sotheby's and Christie's, where wine is just one type of high-end collectible offered for auction, to wine-centric auction houses like Zachys, Acker Wines and Hart Davis Hart Wine Co.
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Eater
3 days ago
- Eater
This NYC-Based Wine Shop From Michelin-Starred Vets Puts Roots Down in the Bay Area
A wine shop with Michelin-starred cred behind it is set to open in Menlo Park in late July: Somm Cellars is a wine retailer based in New York City that opened in 2020, and now, founders and sommeliers Jason Jacobeit and Daniel Jung are bringing their popular shop to the Bay Area. But it's not just a copy-paste version of the original; the duo expands their concept further and will fuse their wine shop with a daytime food menu and specialty market, along with an adjoining restaurant dubbed Cafe Vivant. It's an expression of the hospitality the duo always wanted to bring to their original shop, but haven't been able to due to limitations of the liquor license laws in New York. 'We still say to each other on a weekly basis, we're sommeliers that are playing at retail,' Jacobeit says. 'That's at least partially tongue-in-cheek, but we're restaurant people, and so the hybrid license opportunity [in California] was a no-brainer for us because it allowed us to put our first restaurant location on the map, to have this retail business... [that] synergizes closely with the restaurant.' Jacobeit was formerly the wine director of Michelin-starred (but now closed) Bâtard, noted for his knowledge of Burgundy wines and the extensive selection he built at the restaurant over his 10 years there. Jung was the head sommelier at Tribeca Grill (also closed) for six years, earning attention for the restaurant's Rhone collection and Burgundy program. For the California restaurant and accompanying daytime menu in the retail section, they've recruited chef Jared Wentworth, previously of Chicago's Longman & Eagle and Dusek's Board & Beer, both of which held a Michelin star for a number of years, and the Dining Room at Moody Tongue, which also earned a Michelin star during Wentworth's time there. Under Wentworth, Cafe Vivant will highlight heritage-breed chickens on its menu. The team works with farmer Rob James in Pescadero to raise the birds that will be served at the restaurant, and sold at the Somm Cellars market. Jacobeit and Jung partnered with James and purchased a piece of the farm, per the San Francisco Chronicle . But on the bottle shop side, Wentworth will produce a daytime menu composed of bites and dishes that are meant to be wine-friendly, which is great for those hanging in for a glass or bottle, or produced quickly for those looking for a quick bite on their lunch hour. The duo teased a 'pretty baller' fried chicken sandwich using those aforementioned chickens, deviled eggs from those same birds, as well as rabbit pate, pork rillettes, chicken liver mousse, and a Dungeness crab roll. Although wine will be an obvious, hefty focus on the beverage side, there will also be a selection of bottled cocktails and beers on hand, as well as a pour-over coffee and high-end tea program, the team shares. While Jacobeit and Jung say they have a contingency of West Coast fans and followers of their New York shop, those wandering in will find a wine selection that echoes their wine backgrounds. They promise a wide, 'enviable' selection of Burgundy wines, including chardonnays and pinot noirs, but they'll also branch into its California counterparts and local examples of those wines. One other distinction will be the inclusion of older vintages. 'A lot of wine shops in the area have a great selection across regions, but no depth in vintages,' says Paul Jones, the general manager for the Menlo Park establishment. 'Because of our access to local sellers, we're going to be able to offer top domains from older vintages, and that's going to be a regular feature in both the retail and the restaurant, too.' Along with the plentiful wine offerings and the daytime food menu, a retail shop will highlight products from the farm as well as home goods like specialty and vintage glassware and flatware. For grocery offerings, they're moving away from olives and Marcona almonds, and toward farm products like fruit, vegetables, herbs, and flowers, along with poultry, lamb, and pork — 'a high-end farmers market sort of setup,' Jacobeit says. 'It allows us to really reach the community at a much deeper level, than just a restaurant,' Jacobeit says. 'That's not to say that we wouldn't have opened the bottle shop without the market, but certainly, for both Daniel and me, the market has totally transformed our sense of what is possible and the extent to which we can really become an important part not just of the restaurant scene, but the high-end grocery scene in Silicon Valley.' That's not to mention the wine event programming. Now that they have both the restaurant and retail space available to them, the ideal scenario is to have wine offerings that feel inclusive at various prices. As an example, they may invite a winemaker to do free tastings of a 2022 vintage with small bites where visitors can learn about the wine. Afterward, the night might expand into a four-course seated dinner in the restaurant, where perhaps an older bottle or some magnums from the winery will be shared with the meal. 'There's this very inclusive, very educational, easy to access component of that event, and then it transitions to something much more aspirational, more high-end,' Jacobeit says. The team will accent the space with tables and a comfortable couch, all fitting with their vision of a high-end hospitality environment rather than a 'normative' retail environment, they say. 'We didn't want the retail-meets-hospitality to be an abstract part of the concept,' Jacobeit says. 'We want even passersby who are peeking through the window to really see that there's a cozy living room, a community space feel to the design.' Somm Cellars (720 Santa Cruz Avenue, Menlo Park) debuts late July. Sign up for our newsletter.
New York Post
4 days ago
- New York Post
Napoleon's iconic hat, red foilo and throne to hit the auction block —but will Elon Musk buy them?
Elon Musk could become the owner of a host of French conqueror Napoleon Bonaparte's personal items — if the current seller has his way. The Tesla billionaire would be perfect to purchase the collection, according to businessman Pierre-Jean Chalençon, because his spirit reminds him of the late 18th century military commander and Emperor. Speaking of the items coming up for sale, Chalençon told The Post: 'They are like my children. And I wish Elon Musk, the new Napoleon, to buy everything, to keep my children all together.' Advertisement 10 Edouard Detaille's painting of Napoleon during the Italian campaign may fetch more than $100,000 at Sotheby's auction later this month. Sotheby's The collection is 'one of the most significant Napoleonic offerings ever to come to market,' according to auctioneer Sotheby's. It includes more than 100 items such as one of the Napoleon's iconic bicorne hats, his coronation sword, a folding camp bed, ornate throne and even a sleeve from one of his consular garments, worn when he led the French Republic as First Consul for five years beginning in 1799. The sale is scheduled for June 25 in Paris, but a special exhibit is opening at Sotheby's Upper East Side showroom on Thursday. Here are some of the highlights: Bicorne hat Advertisement Ever the trailblazer, Napoleon was known for wearing his bicorne (two cornered) hat side-to-side across his head, rather than the more conventional front to back, with the point at the front, developing his own style. The hat on sale at Sotheby's was created by Poupard, Napoleon's hatmaker, and was a gift from the Emperor to General Georges Mouton, his trusted aide-de-camp. Napoleon praised Mouton's important role in the Battle of Essling in May 1809, calling him 'a lion.' Napoleon biographer Andrew Roberts told The Post the hat, estimated to sell between $570,000 and $913,0000, will likely fetch significantly more once Napoleon 'fanatics with money' start bidding. There are only 17 such hats that belonged to the French statesman, who died in 1821, in existence today, he said. Advertisement 10 A bicorne hat that Napoleon gifted to one of his most important generals, is scheduled to be auctioned at Sotheby's sale of Pierre-Jean Chalençon's collection of Napoleonic artifacts. Sotheby's Napoleon's sleeve The sleeve, which has a pre-auction estimate between $22,000 and $34,000 was kept as a souvenir by Napoleon's tailor after he had removed it when a servant spilled sauce on it. 'It was kept in the tailor's family as a treasured heirloom,' according to the Sotheby's catalogue. 10 A sleeve from one of Napoleon's garments will be auctioned later this month in Paris. The sleeve was removed by Napoleon's tailor after a servant spilled sauce on it. It could fetch more than $30,000. Sotheby's Advertisement 10 Josephine was the love of Napoleon's life although he divorced her when she could not produce a male heir. The couple continued to correspond with each other even after their divorce. Getty Images 10 Pierre-Jean Chalençon says he wants a billionaire like Elon Musk to purchase his entire collection of Napoleonic artifacts, and to hire him as a consultant to organize museum shows. AFP via Getty Images The red folio Also up for auction is a 'monumental' red leather folio that likely contained the certificate of divorce between Napoleon and his beloved wife Josephine de Beauharnai, as well as passionate love letters between the couple. Napoleon split from his wife in 1809 when she could not provide him a male heir. He then married Marie Louise, daughter of the Emperor of Austria. However, he was bereft at losing his 'lucky star' and continued to correspond with Josephine after their split. A similar red portfolio, which contained official, smaller format documents, is preserved in the National Archives in France, according to Sotheby's. The pre-auction estimate is listed as more than $90,000. 10 The red portfolio once held the certificate of divorce between Napoleon and Josephine. Napoleon later married Marie Louise, the Duchess of Parma. Sotheby's Josephine's dressing table A mahogany, gilt-bronze dressing table used by Josephine is listed between $228,000 to $456,000. It was commissioned by Napoleon for the Chateau de Saint-Cloud, their summer residence where he was proclaimed Emperor of France on May 18, 1804. Advertisement The dressing table was kept in the empress's bedroom, which was decorated with green and white drapes with gold accents, and a bed that was shaped by a pulpit. 10 The mahogany dressing table was used by Empress Josephine, the love of Napoleon's life. Sotheby's Marriage certificate Chalençon is also selling the couple's religious marriage certificate. Executed on December 1, 1804, the certificate formalized their marriage on the eve of Napoleon's coronation. The document is handwritten, and valued between$23,000 to $57,000. Chalençon bought the certificate from businessman Malcolm Forbes, and said the insurance alone on the item was $1 million. Advertisement 10 The religious marriage certificate from Napoleon's marriage to his beloved Josephine will be part of the Sotheby's auction. Napoleon divorced his wife after she failed to produce a male heir. Sotheby's Camp bed The folding 'campaign bed' was invented for Napoleon by 'Father Desouches,' one of his favorite designers. Napoleon was so enamored of the bed, which he used on military campaigns, that he gave them away as diplomatic gifts and also bequeathed them to his son, humbly noting that it was a 'modest legacy' that would preserve the memory of 'a father the universe will forever speak of.' Sotheby's lists the reserve on the bed as between $45,000 and $68,000. 10 A portable folding camp bed used by Napoleon, who was so attached to it that he bequeathed to his son, Napoleon II Sotheby's The throne Advertisement Chalençon's most beloved piece in the auction is Napoleon's throne from the Stupingi Palace in Turin. It is the most expensive piece of furniture in the collection, estimated to sell for up to US$455,254. The backrest is embroidered with a large 'N' and according to Sotheby's, the chair was made for Napoleon's stay at the palace on the way to his crowning as the King of Italy in Milan in 1805. 10 Pierre-Jean's favorite piece from his storied collection is the plush red throne with an embroidered 'N' that Napoleon kept at his ornate palace in Turin, Italy. Sotheby's For Chalencon, 55, who has been collecting Napoleonic artifacts since he was 14 years old, parting with a large part of his collection has been extremely difficult, he told The Post this week. He says he's selling up to get out of debt and start a new life. Advertisement But he is hanging on to a few prized items — Napoleon's snuff box from his exile on St. Helena (1815) and his coronation gloves. I worked all my life to create his collection,' he said.'Like Sherlock Holmes, I looked everywhere, and traveled all over the world. I am not from a wealthy family, but I can tell you that I have a great eye.'
CBS News
4 days ago
- CBS News
Jane Birkin's Hermes bag is going to auction at Sotheby's
The original Hermès Birkin bag, once worn by the late actor and singer Jane Birkin, is heading to auction at Sotheby's this summer. The leather handbag inspired what would be become one of the world's most desired, hard to acquire and priciest fashion accessories. While the auction house resells a range of secondhand Birkin bags, ranging in price from $5,000 to $220,000, there's only one original. "No handbag in the world carries as much cultural significance as the Hermès Birkin. But before it became the ultimate symbol of luxury, the Birkin was born out of necessity — crafted specifically for Jane Birkin herself," Sotheby's said in a statement Thursday announcing the auction. Jane Birkin is pictured with her namesake bag, which is set to go up for auction at Sotheby's this summer. Mike Daines / Shutterstock The original Hermès Birkin bag, which differs slightly form the model sold today, is on item in Sotheby's Fashion Icons auction, which takes place in Paris from June 26 to July 10. In the meantime, the original bag, which belongs to a private collector, will be on display in at the auction house's New York headquarters from June 6 to June 12. Chance encounter Birkin, who died in 2023 at age 76, was known for her artistry and style. In addition to her songs, including recordings with celebrated singer Serge Gainsbourg, she appeared in classic films including Michelangelo Antonioni's 1966 "Blow-Up." She was also admired for her political activism, capaigning for Myanmar's pro-democracy movement and the fight against AIDS, among other causes. "Jane Birkin was a French icon because she was the incarnation of freedom, sang the most beautiful words of our language," French President Emmanuel Macron wrote on social media when she died. An errant remark from Birkin to Jean-Louis Dumas, then the head of Hermès, on an Air France flight in 1984 spawned the creation of the Birkin bag, according to Sotheby's. At the time, Birkin complained she couldn't find a bag big enough to accommodate her belongings for daily use. Dumas quickly sketched a bag that he would go on to make, and later name, for her. The bag is now made in a variety of colorways, leather types and sizes based on the prototype Dumas made for the singer. But "the Original Birkin bag is a true one-of-a-kind — a singular piece of fashion history that has grown into a pop culture phenomenon that signals luxury in the most refined way possible," Morgane Halimi, Sotheby's global head of handbags and fashion, said in a statement. Costly, not expensive? Sotheby's has not indicated how much the bag could fetch. A spokesperson for the auction house told CBS MoneyWatch it will provide an estimate to interested parties upon request, noting the bag's exceptional provenance. By comparison, Sotheby's sold Princess Diana's historic black sheep sweater in 2023 for $1.1 million, 14 times its estimate of $80,000. In December, Hermès artistic director Pierre-Alexis Dumas, told "60 Minutes" that the fashion house's leather goods, including the Birkin bag, are as costly as they are because the company refuses to compromise on quality or craftsmanship. He also disputed the notion that Hermès goods are "expensive," while conceding hey are "costly" to make. "The cost is the actual price of making an object properly with the required level of attention, so that you have an object of quality," Dumas told 60 Minutes in the interview. "Expensive is a product which is not delivering what it's supposed to deliver, but you've paid quite a large amount of money for it, then it betrays you. That's expensive." Customers have accused Hermès of deliberately limiting production of Birkin bags, a notion Dumas dismissed as a "diabolical marketing idea" that the company does not employ. Rather, he insisted, the company can't keep up with the enduring demand for the Birkin bag, while only a few craftspeople are trained to make the item.. "Whatever we have, we put on the shelf and it goes," he said.
