At the end of May, the number of active markets reached a record high, nudging over 5,000 for the first time. These are defined as wines with either a firm bid or offer against them on the market. This follows a surge since the beginning of the year as fine wine merchants have become increasingly engaged.
To some extent, this is reflective of the broadening market. As shown in the chart below, the increase in active wines has not occurred equally across regions. Notably, Bordeaux’s share has dropped this year having held steady throughout 2014. In real terms, the number of bids and offers for Bordeaux wines has seen little change, while exposure for wines from all other regions has steadily increased.
The greatest increase has come in wines from ‘other’ regions, which include Australia, the USA, Spain, Portugal and more. In December 2013, they represented 7% of active markets. Currently, wines of ‘other’ regions account for 11%.
