LOS ANGELES, CA.- Christies Wine department announces its expanded presence on the West Coast with a new sale site at Christies Los Angeles. The transition of Wine auctions to Los Angeles reflects a strategic decision to cater to and cultivate this dominate wine state of the United States in conjunction with our Asian markets. The Luxury division at Christies, and Wine in particular, has seen a marked increase in participation from these two regions of the past five years, with 40% of active Wine clients hailing from either the West Coast or Asia.
The Department will also expand with Adam Schneider, who joins as Junior Specialist based in Christies Los Angeles. Adam holds a BA from Harvard University and an MFA from The New School, and is currently working toward his WSET Diploma with a concentration on California wines.
Starting with the Fine & Rare Wines online sale in January 2022, the Department has curated a series of sales for the spring season that present a strong selection of the best wines from the major wine producing regions of the world. The new sale site also marks the broader bi-coastal expansion of Christies Luxury representation in both New York and Los Angeles. Select highlights from the January sale can be found below, with further highlights to be announced closer to sale date.
Bonnie Brennan, President, Christies Americas, commented: Christies is excited to reinforce our California presence with the addition of online sales in wine. We have seen time and again that wine is a strong entry point into both Luxury and the wider auction industry and this represents a fantastic opportunity to cultivate clients in these active regions.
Christopher Munro, Head of Department, Wine and Spirits, Christies Americas, remarked: We are delighted to add Los Angeles to our global wine sales calendar, alongside sale sites in Hong Kong, Shanghai, London and Geneva. As evident in the successful sale of The Benjamin Ichinose Collection, one of the finest collections from California to appear at auction, we continue to see significant growth in participation from both consigning and buying from the West Coast and are excited to host our sales closer to our growing client base in the wine state.