Taking place on the 1st December at Christie’s London headquarters, the auction was made up of 87 lots which opened the Finest and Rarest Wines & Spirits auction.
Bidding took place in the spectacular auction room where a selection of DWWA award winners was also available to taste before and throughout the auction. The DWWA auction attracted buyers from all over the world, across four continents.
The rise and rise of Burgundy
As noted by Christie’s wine specialist and auctioneer Charlie Foley ‘Burgundy continued to be the darling of the auction’, where it attracted stiff competition from bidders in the room and around the world.
Champagne also proved exceptionally popular this year with huge demand undoubtedly in time for the festive season. Over £18,000 was realised this year across 24 lots with numerous multiple lots being purchased by savvy bidders from across Europe.
A first for the United States
United States wines were auctioned this year for the first time at the annual event, featuring a selection of wines from the Napa and Sonoma Valleys and Oregon. All three lots saw great interest from bidders and realised over £2000.
Highlighted Lots
- Five lots of Champagne, including a selection of vintage, non-vintage and rosé from small growers to Grande Marques sold for £3550
- Two lots of red and white Burgundy, including Nuits-Saint-Georges, Gevrey-Chambertin, Pommard and Volnay, Chassagne-Montrachet and Puligny-Montrachet, Meursault and Chablis sold for £2500
- Three lots of Piedmont red wines, including a selection of Barolo, Barbaresco and Langhe sold for £1875
Commenting on the auction results and partnership with Decanter, Foley said, ‘I was delighted to once again auctioneer the Decanter World Wine Awards auction, following the 19th year of the Awards. We were thrilled to have participation from across the world and a full room of eager bidders.
‘For the first time USA wines were introduced, which excited clients as they know the quality of US entries to DWWA. We look forward to the 20th Anniversary Awards in Autumn 2023.’
Charity partnerships
All funds raised at this auction will be added to money raised through additional charity sales organised by Decanter, with all the proceeds donated to a number of charities.
Charities supported include The Drinks Trust, Change Please, The Ben Soc, Be Inclusive Hospitality as well as a new charity for 2022: The Regenerative Viticulture Foundation. Decanter has donated in excess of £150,000 to these organisations over the past 24 months.
More information about the 2022 sale is available here.