PRESS RELEASE
Mariehamn, June 3rd 2011
Unique Champagne Auction in Åland
Wreck Champagne Sells for World Record
A new world record was set on Friday when a single bottle of Champagne was sold for 30.000 euros at an exclusive champagne auction in Åland, an autonomous region in Finland. The record bottle was an 1841 Veuve Clicquot, one of the world’s oldest bottles of Champagne salvaged last year from a 19th century shipwreck off the Åland Islands.
The landmark sale took place in Mariehamn, Åland, where the Government of Åland and Acker Merrall & Condit, the world’s premier wine auction house auctioned two highly anticipated vintage bottles of Veuve Clicquot and Juglar, along with 15 special lots direct from Veuve Cliquot's cellars. The Juglar almost made the world record, selling for an impressive 24.000 euros, and only beaten by the bottle from Veuve Clicquot.
“This sends out a strong message that the oldest and rarest drinkable champagne is sold in Åland. We are also happy that the financial surplus that is generated by the sale of the champagne bottles will go to charitable causes, such as environmental measures for improving the quality of water in the seas,” said departmental head Rainer Juslin of the Åland Government.
The sale took place in front of a capacity crowd of more than 600 people in Mariehamn, with on-line bids and telephone bids helping to get one hundred percent of the lots sold.
“We are absolutely thrilled to break the world record, and very happy that the sale was such a success”, Vice Head of the Åland Government, Britt Lundberg, said.
The previous world record for a bottle of Champagne was also held by Acker Merrall, having sold two bottles of 1959 Dom Perignon Rose in April 2008 for a combined total of US$84,700.
“We are overjoyed by today’s outcome,” said John Kapon, CEO of Acker Merrall & Condit. “We felt privileged to work with the Government of Åland and Veuve Clicquot to produce this unprecedented sale. Today proved to be one of the most historic and exhilarating events in the world of wine. The tremendous amount of interest shown in the auction is a testament to the continued growth of the auction market for fine and rare wine.”
About the Åland Champagne Discovery
In July 2010, divers discovered unique bottles of Champagne in a shipwreck off the Åland Islands of Finland, at the mouth of the Baltic Sea. Having survived nearly two centuries at the bottom of the Baltic Sea, the contents of the bottles are extremely well preserved. Following a successful salvage operation of 145 bottles, it was found the bounty included some of the world's oldest Champagnes, wines from the famed houses of Veuve Clicquot, Juglar, and Heidsieck.
Further information from The Government of Åland:
Rainer Juslin, Permanent Secretary of the Department for Education and Culture
Tel. +358 18 25230 or +358 457 547 1338, rainer.juslin@regeringen.ax
Björn Häggblom, Head of Communications
Tel. +358 18 25143 or +358 50 547 0951, bjorn.haggblom@regeringen.ax
Photos:
Please visit http://www.visitaland.com/en/facts/champagne/photo_film for photos and further information about Åland.
Åland is an autonomous region of Finland. It is a demilitarised Swedish-speaking region with a right of self-government secured through international guarantees. The Åland Islands form an archipelago in the Baltic Sea, consisting of more than 6 700 islands and skerries. The population of Åland is 28 000.