Christie’s All-American wine auction, online only, starts tomorrow

At a dinner party last weekend, my host served a Simi Cabernet Sauvignon purchased at Trader Joe’s. On second thought, maybe he should have held onto that bottle for a few years. (Just joking,) A bottle of the 1935 Simi Cabernet is estimated to fetch $400 to $600 in a Christie’s auction which starts today.

The international auction house’s “Signature Cellars: the All-American Sale” is online-only and includes more than 250 lots of classic and cult wines from American producers.

In the past, Christie’s put together a series of “California Only” auctions. But that was before the advent of online bidding. According to Christie’s senior wine specialist Scott Torrence, the All-American sale “marks a welcome return to the tradition of gathering the best of the West Coast.”

Appropriately patriotic, the auction spans a two week period that includes the fourth of July. Bidders, though, are not limited to this country. The online format allows buyers anywhere in the world to peruse the lots on offer, register, bid, and follow their bids in real time.

Highlights of the All-American sale include the 1997 Screaming Eagle (3 bottles per lot, estimate $6500 to $9500), the 2004 Sine Qua Non Poker Face Syrah (4 bottles per lot, estimate $2,000 to $2,800) and a double magnum of the 1984 Diamond Creek Lake Cabernet Sauvignon (estimate $600 to $800).

Registration and bidding opens on Thursday, June 27 and ends July 11 at www.christies.com/signaturecellars

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Twitter: @sirenevirbila