Wine Market Journal Highlights 'Bull' Market for Rare Wine

Top wine cellars are appreciating at the best rate in three years

VANCOUVER, Wash., Oct. 8, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- First Growth Technologies, Inc, publisher of the gold standard for rare wine values The Wine Market Journal, announced today that, based on rare wine auction results in the United States, the market has been in 'bull' mode since the beginning of 2025, with appreciation overall, including across almost all categories.

"We've seen broad appreciation across almost all our rare wine indices since the beginning of the year", said Wine Market Journal Editor Peter Gibson. "After the rare wine market heated up during the early part of the pandemic, it began to correct noticeably in 2022 and continued to do so into 2024. We now see unmistakable indications in the rare wine market of long-term appreciation having reasserted itself since the beginning of 2025." 

"So far in 2025, top Bordeaux, Champagne and White Burgundy are all up 6-7%," Peter noted, "but the surprise hot category is Port, which has become a by-the-glass darling at top restaurants, and is up almost 10% during the first three quarters of 2025." Italian wine, premier cru red Burgundy and DRC (Domaine de la Romanée Conti) have also shown strength, with appreciation 2-3% so far in 2025. The only categories to show some softness are California cult wines, non-DRC Grand Cru red Burgundies and Rhône wines, which remain flat or modestly down for the year. "The overall strength is such that all of our broad indices are up for the year, especially the one that tracks mature wine, which demonstrates to us that people are not waiting for new release wine to age, but rather spending money on the perfectly aged wines available in the market. The market timing tracks with similar rare wine market cycles going back to the 1980s." he said.

"While many aspects of the wine market, including bulk wine and low-price labels, have demonstrated substantial weakness this year, the very high end of the market is robust and gaining strength," David Parker, Publisher of The Wine Market Journal, CEO of Benchmark Wine Group and president of The National Association of Wine Retailers agreed, adding, "While people are drinking less, they are drinking better and the dollars spent on wine in the top quintile of pricing continues to rise. In addition, rare wine's history of appreciation makes it an attractive alternative investment for the right consumer. It's the ultimate liquid asset."

But not all brands are created equal. "Those that have firmly established their reputations as collectable, world class brands, are enjoying that appreciation now, whereas others that have yet to establish themselves in this way are struggling)," Parker notes. "There are a lot of emerging brands with high quality fruit and top production methods that have been founded in the last few years that have not yet become well-known in high net worth and collector households.  Due to a reduction in distribution capacity, direct-to-consumer sales and tasting room visitors, these brands are finding themselves with excess inventory.  The short 2024 vintage will help to reduce this, but younger consumers, who have not adopted wine in the way that previous generations have, are critical to assuring strong demand for the future."

About The Wine Market Journal
The Wine Market Journal is the gold standard for secondary market rare wine valuation, tracking trades at almost all significant wine auctions, live and online, as well as retail trades of many top rare wine retailers. With over 6 million trades going back to 1985, nothing else even comes close. They are the authority most trusted by the top wine tracking site CellarTracker! and most top auction houses and rare wine retailers, collectors, and investors.

About Benchmark Wine Group
Established in 2002, Benchmark Wine Group is a licensed importer, distributor and retailer in California, and the leading source of rare and back-vintage wine for wine retailers, restaurants and collectors in the U.S. and throughout the world.

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SOURCE Benchmark Wine Group