Rare Wine Prices Up 7 Percent in 2025, Marking Strongest U.S. Rebound in Three Years

The rare wine market in the United States is experiencing its strongest appreciation in three years, according to new data released by First Growth Technologies, Inc., publisher of The Wine Market Journal. The report, based on auction results from across the country, shows that rare wine values have been rising steadily since the start of 2025, reversing a period of correction that began in 2022 and continued through 2024.

Peter Gibson, editor of The Wine Market Journal, said that nearly all rare wine indices tracked by the publication have shown gains this year. “We’ve seen broad appreciation across almost all our rare wine indices since the beginning of the year,” Gibson said. He noted that after a surge in rare wine prices during the early pandemic, the market cooled off, but now signs of long-term appreciation have returned.

Top categories such as Bordeaux, Champagne, and White Burgundy have each increased by 6 to 7 percent in value during the first three quarters of 2025. Port wines have outperformed other categories, rising nearly 10 percent, driven in part by their growing popularity by the glass at high-end restaurants. Italian wines, premier cru red Burgundy, and Domaine de la Romanée-Conti (DRC) have also posted gains of 2 to 3 percent so far this year.

However, not all segments of the rare wine market are performing equally well. California cult wines, non-DRC Grand Cru red Burgundies, and Rhône wines have remained flat or declined slightly in value. Despite these exceptions, Gibson said that all of the publication’s broad indices are up for the year, with mature wines showing particular strength. “People are not waiting for new release wine to age, but rather spending money on the perfectly aged wines available in the market,” he said.

David Parker, publisher of The Wine Market Journal and CEO of Benchmark Wine Group, confirmed the trend. “While many aspects of the wine market, including bulk wine and low-price labels, have demonstrated substantial weakness this year, the very high end of the market is robust and gaining strength,” Parker said. He added that while overall wine consumption may be down, spending on top-tier wines continues to rise. “While people are drinking less, they are drinking better and the dollars spent on wine in the top quintile of pricing continues to rise,” he said.

Parker also pointed out that rare wine’s history of appreciation makes it an attractive alternative investment for collectors and high-net-worth individuals. However, he cautioned that not all brands are benefiting equally from the current market conditions. Established collectible brands are seeing strong appreciation, while newer brands without established reputations are struggling. Many of these emerging brands, founded in recent years and known for high-quality production, are facing excess inventory due to reduced distribution capacity and fewer tasting room visitors. The short 2024 vintage may help reduce this surplus, but Parker emphasized that attracting younger consumers is essential for sustaining future demand.

The Wine Market Journal has tracked more than six million trades since 1985 and is widely regarded as the leading authority on secondary market rare wine valuation. Its data is used by top auction houses, retailers, collectors, and investors. Benchmark Wine Group, established in 2002, is a major importer, distributor, and retailer of rare and back-vintage wines in California and serves clients throughout the United States and internationally.