Weinauktion.de

Weinauktion.de has been buying and selling wine for more than thirty years and runs its sales as numbered live auctions — auction #529, themed "SIPtember", was closing as this entry was written. It is one of the very few dedicated wine channels in this directory, a category that European buyers otherwise have to chase through general salerooms.

What you can buy

• Collectable and mature wines, sold by the bottle and by the lot.
• Cellar clearances consigned by private owners.

How the bidding works

Registration is free and required to bid; the auction number and its closing date are shown on the front page. The house buys as well as sells, and offers a non-binding valuation to anyone considering consigning — which for an inherited cellar is usually the first question.

What to check before you bid

With wine, storage history and fill level decide the price far more than the label, and a photograph will not show either — read the lot description for provenance and condition, and ask if it is not stated. Shipping wine across borders carries excise and duty consequences that vary by destination country. The site runs in German and English.