Sotheby’s has long been the purveyor of the finest collectables, including wine. This October, the auction house partners with Cité du Vin for the third edition of Wine and Dine Experiences | Benefiting the Wine Culture Heritage, offering 64 curated lots up for online auction. It presents everything from vintage bottles to the singular, most expensive wines like the 1869 label – the iconic first batch that the Rothschild family produced in their Médoc chateau winery – in the process, fashioning an indulgent experience driven by the brand’s signature heritage and status. The sale runs from 7 October through 27 October with the singular aim to raise funds in support of the Foundation for Wine Culture and Civilizations and its noble pursuit to safeguard and share the universal heritage of wine with a wider audience.
In line with its curated approach to assembling rare and collectable wines, Sotheby’s upcoming auction caters to every oenophile, from enthusiastic amateurs to seasoned connoisseurs.
A Toast to Tradition: Sotheby’s and Cité du Vin Honour Wine Culture
Cité du Vin’s cultural programming for 2026 includes the cultural institution’s hosting of interactive workshops for more than 40,000 annual global visitors that are expected to attend. Its international wine tourism projects and other recreational activities will honour the sheer variety of oenological traditions that exist in the country and across the world. Sotheby’s wine specialists guide collectors and guests through the subtleties of each wine region, curating an experience that embodies the prestige and enduring heritage of the brand.
Curated Experiences and Custom Labels
Sotheby’s stewards bring a collector’s eye to the sale. Delivering a truly sensory experience, 90% of the 64 lots present on-ground experiences, including private visits, tastings and overnight stays at some of the world’s most prestigious estates such as Opus One, in Napa Valley. Experiences like fine-dining at grand Châteaux and Michelin-starred restaurants, estate lunches, private tours of wineries, a curated selection of wines — many in rare large bottles — become moments made to last and will linger long after the final glass.
Highlights include a magnum of Château d’Yquem Sauternes 2005, complemented by lunch for six at the estate, a jeroboam of Champagne Deutz 1998 with a private tour and lunch at Maison Deutz, and a jeroboam of Château Le Pin Pomerol 2018 that comes with a private visit, tasting and lunch with the estate’s owners. (starting bid $17,000-35,000).
Cité du Vin Collection: 1855–2025
To mark Cité du Vin’s tenth anniversary and the 170th anniversary of the 1855 Classification established by Napoleon III for the Paris Universal Exhibition, the auction features a special once-in-a-lifetime set – 88 rare bottles of Grands Crus Classés from Médoc and Sauternes, presented as the Cité du Vin 1855–2025 Collection. A treasure in their own right, these remarkable wines are a collector’s package designed for provenance. Each bottle carries a commemorative back label and is housed in a bespoke hand-engraved wooden case by La Caisserie du Bazadais.
Amid all this, the pièce de résistance remains an exclusive three-day experience for two couples in Bordeaux – complete with free transfers, private tours, tastings and exclusive dinners in legendary estates, including Château Batailley, Pontet-Canet, Cos d’Estournel, Giscours, Mouton Rothschild, de Malle, and d’Yquem (bids start at $12,000-22,000).
10 Years of Refined Viniculture at Cité du Vin
Often termed the “Guggenheim of wine,” Cité du Vin has become a pilgrimage of sorts in Bordeaux, opening its doors to over three million visitors every year since 2014. In an artistic feat of architecture, the venue – designed to emulate a decanter – establishes a natural movement inside, flowing like swirling wine. One of the most elaborate setups for wine enthusiasts, it offers an opportunity to deeply interact with the living history of this drink. In essence, Cité du Vin embodies the cultural, universal, and living heritage of wine, offering a dynamic programme of immersive and digital exhibitions, sensory experiences, tasting workshops, cultural initiatives and wine tourism ventures.
Its inverted carafe-like design presents 360° vistas of Bordeaux’s UNESCO-listed cityscape and neighbouring vineyards. The showstopping exhibit, however, remains the Buffet of Five Senses, a sensory experience that masterfully hones the nose to recognise 19 distinct wine aromas — using brass trumpets to deliver notes of leather, cherries, leafy tobacco and spices like clove and cedar.
Final Thoughts
Beyond the thrill of owning a rare bottle, the partnership between Sotheby’s auction house and Cité du Vin offers access to stories of origin and cultural programming designed to keep wine traditions alive and accessible. It connects people with the makers and the places behind the labels, enriching the experience and turning wine into more than just an object in a cellar.
Sotheby’s has once again, as it has throughout history, presented these stories with care, matching rarity with context, and bottles with experiences that make them meaningful.
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