Discover the highlights of our 2025 Wine and Spirits Market Report! This annual report provides an in-depth review and analysis of our global wine and spirits business, highlighting market trends, buyer demographics, new initiatives, and additional key insights. 2025 was a year of strong momentum, marked by business expansion, renewed partnerships, and evolving market dynamics.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Auction sales reached $127.5 million, up 12% year-over-year and more than doubling over the past decade from $47 million in 2015
- 2025 marked a clear shift from the recent equilibrium in market share: Bordeaux nearly doubled its 2024 level, rising to 28% of sales, while Burgundy still led with 39% of sales and a strong 20% from Spirits
- One-third of buyers were new to Sotheby’s, with 50% under the age of 50 and half of those under 40, signaling strong engagement from the next generation of collectors and a consistently widening audience
- Bidder participation expanded to a record 63 countries, a global growth matched by strategic investment in our team with full-time specialists in Tokyo and Zurich
Sotheby’s continued to support raising funds for important causes, and renewed partnerships across the world’s leading wine and whisky regions, including The Hospices de Beaune and Distillers One of One - Sotheby’s remained the market leader for single-owner legacy cellars, delivering white-glove results and setting new auction records
- The most valuable bottle of wine globally in 2025 was sold by Sotheby’s, making it the only house to exceed $450,000 for a single lot
- Sotheby’s also sold the most valuable bottle of spirits globally in 2025, and sold four of the top five results worldwide
- Retail offered a curated program of events in Hong Kong and New York, led by some of the most sought-after producers in their respective regions
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Retail sales saw robust demand at the top end of the market, with DRC and First Growth wines leading, while Leflaive, Moutai and Le Pin entered the top 15 for the first time, highlighting dynamic and evolving collector interests
