What do "Auction" wines maen?

"Jaybert41" skrev i melding news: snipped-for-privacy@mb-m11.aol.com...

There's an auction every year (in Trier for the Mosel area I believe) where vintners use to submit their specially made and reserved batches of their best wines. So, you'll at times find 2 identically named wines in a vintners price list with the designation of "Versteigerungswein" (auction wine) being the one difference (apart from the public control number). These wines usually are from riper grapes, meaning higher levels of sugar and extracts. The prices for these are often determinated at the auction and may be very high - I'm talking 100 to 500USD a bottle... - certainly higher than for the 'normal' bottlings. hth Anders

Ahh... That makes some sense. So in addition to the one, two, and three star notations often used, the term "Versteigerungswein" can be found on these auction bottles? I have never seen a bottle in person, rather only seen them offered on internet reatialers stock lists. Is there "Versteigerungswein" used on the label to distinguish between the two different wines? Thanks!

"Jaybert41" skrev i melding news: snipped-for-privacy@mb-m02.aol.com...

No, never on the labels, That would not be legal. A golden or long capsule or a three star notation might be indicative - but you'll have to know the particular batch of wine to know that it was offered at the auctions. Your vendor would likely inform about that, however, to justify the often higher price or to promote the wine.

Another point, the vintner has to be a member of, for instance, the "Bernkasteler Ring" to submit any wine for the auction, by itself a quality mark. Look for the term or for the letters VDP on the label.

Auction prices are exorbitant at times, btw. The last one of VDP this year saw the following record breakers:

Fritz Haag, Brauneberger-Juffer Sonnenuhr Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese

Add 30% to get the USD price...

Anders