NEW YORK, Dec. 22, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Acker Merrall & Condit Company continued
its dominance of the global wine auction market over the past
decade, finishing with an estimated $62
million in auction sales worldwide in 2014. In the
key markets of New York and
Hong Kong, Acker exceeded the
nearest competitor by over 40% in revenues, and it also topped
every other American wine auction house by 50%. "It's a great
feeling of pride and accomplishment to look back at 2014 and still
be standing where we are, #1 in New
York and #1 in Hong Kong,"
commented Acker CEO, John
Kapon. "These are arguably the two most
competitive cities in the world today, and it just goes to show
that while Acker is often imitated, we can never be
duplicated. The world's greatest wine collectors continue to
choose Acker Merrall to represent
and replenish their collections."
Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20141222/165768
The Year of Burgundy
For the first time ever, Burgundy's market share was larger
than Bordeaux's, at a 41% to 32%
clip. "Bordeaux might have to
get used to the taste of the silver medal as opposed to the silver
spoon," quipped Kapon. "The demand for Burgundy isn't going
down." California's
market share was an impressive 10%, driven mostly by
American sales and collectors, followed by a countdown of
Champagne, Italy, Rhone,
Spain and Germany at 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1%
respectively.
The Million Dollar Brands
Nine brands, nine of the most famous names in the world, each
delivered over a million of sales in 2014: Domaine de la Romanee Conti, Lafite Rothschild,
Petrus, Mouton Rothschild, Latour, Domaine Leflaive, Rousseau,
Margaux and Haut Brion. Comte de Vogue
missed the million mark, but rounded out the Top Ten selling brands
of the year. DRC was once again the most valuable auction
brand in the world, accounting for 15% of the market.
The "Super Seconds" knocking on the door of the above elite
producers were Dujac, Screaming Eagle, Dom Perignon, Roumier,
Henri Jayer, Leroy, Harlan Estate,
Cheval Blanc, Krug and Liger-Belair. "Real
estate is location, location, location; wine is producer, producer,
producer. The top brands are the top brands for a reason,"
noted Kapon.
Next up would be Mugnier, Sine Qua Non, Guigal, d'Yquem
and Louis Jadot. Just
missing out on cracking the Top 25 most valuable brands in the
business were Vega Sicilia and Bruno Giacosa, an indicator of the global
trend of diversification.
Who's Buying What
2014 saw American collectors make a strong comeback as
they grew their share of winning bids by a noticeable
13%. However, Greater
China (Hong Kong, the
Mainland, Macau and Taiwan) remained the biggest fish in the
ocean, accounting for 48% of all winning bids in
Hong Kong and NYC. 2014 saw
Brazil's star rising as
volume doubled in this emerging nation. Japan's business also grew aggressively by
35%. These markets accounted for over 90% of all volume in
2014. "Thanks to technology and the internet, the world is
now a global one, and as we continue towards a world without
borders, more and more people will discover and want the world's
finest wines," added Kapon. "It is astounding to me how a
handful of countries account for almost all of the market.
There's a lot more world out there."
Our first Hong Kong auction of
2015 will be on January
31st, 2015, showcasing one of the world's most
legendary and respected collectors.
Lambert Jemley, Email, 212-787-1700
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SOURCE Acker Merrall &
Condit