Acker Merrall Repeats as the #1 Firm in the World's Most Important & Influential Wine Auction Markets for 2014

Beats the Competition by Over 40% in the Key Markets of Hong Kong and New York City; 50% Larger Than Any Other American Wine Auction Firm; 1032 World Records Set

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Acker Merrall & Condit

Dec 22, 2014, 08:56 ET

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."