German wine auctions

Today, the auctions are intended for small lot wines not sold through regular channels.

The wines put up for auction belong in most Prädikat levels, but are usually given the additional designation Goldkapsel (Golden capsule) to show that they are "extra good", and small sticker announces that the bottle was sold at a particular auction.

(To complicate matters, the unregulated Goldkapsel designation is not limited to auction wines.)

For wines made in very small lots, this means that a significant portion of the quantity produced must be served up for free.

There are five auctions that are held annually: The highest prices for young wines fetched in the autumn 2007 auctions, as full bottle prices excluding tax and commission, were: The most expensive old wine was a single bottle of Erbacher Markobrunn Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese Cabinet 1937 sold by Schloss Reinhartshausen at 2650 euro.