The Wine Lover's Guide to Auctions: The Art & Science of Buying And Selling Wines

Reviwed by Marisa D'Vari

Okay, so you’ve seen the film Sideways and have been trying to learn about wine ever since. You’re questioning sommeliers in restaurants, taking courses, and buying wine from shops where the clerks know their Bordeaux from their Burgundy. Quite possibly, you’ve made inquiries about turning your basement into a climate-controlled wine cellar.

So far, so good.

Now that you’ve become something of an oenophile, the next step is to begin stocking your cellar with the good stuff. Unfortunately, if you’re serious about collecting wine, you may find that the very best wines are available by allocation only. This means that in order to create the cellar of your dreams, you will have to buy wine at auction.

Ursula Hermacinski, the author of The Wine Lover’s Guide to Auctions: The Art and Science of Buying and Selling Wines, has been one of the most successful auctioneers in the world for over 20 years. Much of that time was spent with the world-renowned auction house Christies, with offices in London, New York, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. Her excellently organized book presents a clear understanding of the auction process from start to finish and is divided into four parts.

In Part One, Ursula explains how to get started, elaborating on both the history and details of the auction process, in addition to wine basics. It also provides an overview of the history of wine auctions and details the specifics that will set the reader apart as a cunning bidder and clever seller. In this section, Ursula discusses the most popular grape varieties, how to serve wine, the importance of proper glassware, and why and when to let wine breath.

Ursula prepares you to attend and successfully bid at auction in Part Two. This section begins with a chapter devoted to understanding the catalogue, describing each of its components in extensive detail. Samples of forms are included in the book, with instructions on how the reader should fill them out. Then Ursula describes in detail what happens on “auction day” – including what to wear (anything goes), when to arrive, how to register, and what you will see. The science of selling and choosing the right auction house is the focus of Part Three, detailing the many things that can go wrong in a sale (bad wine, shipping damages, handling charges) etc. Finally, in Part Four, Ursula discusses how to expand your collection, the advantages of charity wine auctions, and how to increase your understanding of wine, primarily through traveling and tasting.

In 229 clearly written, succinct pages, this “goddess of the gavel” has revealed everything an aspiring wine collector needs to know about the auction process, including the right types of wine to buy at auction. Especially noteworthy are Ursula’s trade secrets on how to buy value wines inexpensively. Indeed, this admirable resource is so motivating one can hardly wait to zip off to the next auction and wave that bidding paddle with confidence.