Munich Wine Company

Munich Wine Company splits its calendar into two tiers that behave differently: Online Wine Auction for the regular sales and Fine Wine Auction for the top end. Its specialisms are the ones that hold value — Premier Cru Burgundy, champagne and rare whisky.

What you can buy

• Premier Cru and fine Burgundy.
• Champagne.
• Rare whisky.
• Collectable wine more generally, in the online sales.

How the bidding works

An account is needed to bid. The house publishes its auction fees, valuation process, consignment terms and payout arrangements on separate pages rather than burying them in conditions — worth reading before a first sale, because fine wine premiums differ from general saleroom rates. The site runs in German and English.

What to check before you bid

At this end of the market provenance is the product: where a bottle has been stored, whether it has left the original case, and what the fill level is. Ask for that information explicitly rather than assuming the catalogue covers it. Rare whisky in particular carries a counterfeit risk that makes the house's own authentication process the thing to understand before bidding.