“Red wine is a great accompaniment to meat,” Mario Lemieux, a retired Canadian professional hockey player and wine collector, once said. Well, Mario, especially if the red wine is way far more expensive than the meat you are gorging on.Over the years, the prices of some red wines have stolen the limelight away from the wine itself. Whether because of an iconic label, a former famous owner, or just simply a rare and highly valuable vintage, the wines in this list are surely some of the most lavish liquid purchases in the entire history.Buying any of the wines on this list would make most of us declare bankruptcy. However, if you have the money or the mood to buy a really expensive bottle then here are some of the most expensive and finest red wines in the world.This is not a definitive list admittedly, as the items here are sold differently: some are sold per bottle, jeroboam, or double-magnum.The wine market, please take note, has a lot of intermediaries which may have a direct effect on the prices.

Importers, wholesalers, as well as retailers are in the market to make a profit, so prices of wines may change depending on which level you’re dealing with. In addition, the prices of wines in auctions generally get out of hand and may result in heftier price tags.Considered one of the best vintages ever produced by its estate, 2009 Chateau Margaux’s three 12-liter bottles are offered for US$195,000 by exclusive wine merchant Le Clos in Dubai International Airport.Only six Balthazars have been produced, and only three of them are up for sale; all available exclusively through Le Clos. It is housed in a grand case of oak and raised on steel legs, with beautiful gold engravings by master craftsmen.It is quite amazing that this wine, which has around 750 ml in every bottle, is authenticated to be just 150 years old. If you want a bottle of this wine, feel free to shell out around $ 24,577 (that excludes tax, of course). However, if you are really feeling magnanimous and want a double-magnum bottle of the wine, you can have it for just around $124,469.In 2006, a double magnum of this wine was sold for a record $111,625 at a Sotheby’s auction.

The average price per glass? About $4,650.This wine enjoys the good reputation of the world’s finest Pinot Noir. Production is limited due to the strict yields but also because of the desire to capture the luscious fruit flavors in the berries. This wine is produced on a tiny parcel of land where vines are on the average over 50 years old.best wine of the month club nycIn 1996, eight bottles of this elegant wine were sold at Sotheby’s for US $224,900. rich red wine reductionThe average price for a bottle of this wine is $20,975.The average price for a 750 ml bottle of this wine is $16,992. best coffee shops food and wineIn 2007, a jeroboam of this wine, regarded as one of the greatest vintages of the previous century—was sold to a bidder at Sotheby’s New York. what's the best wine with turkey

An astounding $310,700 or almost $77,675 per 750-ml bottle. A decade earlier, a jeroboam of this fine wine was bought by an anonymous bidder at Christie’s, London. The $114,614 price-tag is almost equal to $23,000 per 750 ml.Sold in 2004 for $24,675, this Cabernet is owned by Francis Ford Coppola. According to Coppola himself it was one of the best he’d ever had. buy wine ingredients“There is a signature violet and rose petal aroma that completes this amazingly well-preserved, robust wine that had just finished fermentation at the time of Pearl Harbor.” he said.buy chocolate shop wineOne of the most expensive wines in the world, Cheval Blanc 1947 enjoys the privileged status of being one of only two wines that have been awarded the Class A status in the Classification of Saint-Emilion wine. the best wine for fish

In 2006, a three-liter bottle of this fine wine was bought at Vinfolio in San Francisco for $135,125 ($33,781 per 750 ml).At $38,420 per bottle, Penfolds Grange Hermitage 1951 is considered the most expensive Australian wine. According to reports, there are just 20 bottles of this wine that exists at present. In May 2004, a wine collector in Adelaide shelled out a cool AUS$50,200 for a bottle at an auction house.best wine labels of all timeA bottle of Chateau Lafite 1787 that was linked to Thomas Jefferson, the third President of the United States, was sold to Malcolm Forbes in 1985 for $160,000. best red wine selectionsDespite issues over the provenance of the wine and link to Jefferson, this wine is among the most expensive single bottles of wine ever sold.Known as the most expensive wine never to be sold, this wine’s initial price was around $500,000.

It was authenticated to be once part of the wine collection of Thomas Jefferson.Chateau Margaux 1787 was accidentally shattered in a Margaux Dinner by a waiter who knocked the bottle over and broke it. Insurers paid out around $225,000.This is the Grand Royale of all the most expensive wines out there. In a Napa valley wine auction in 2000, this wine got the highest bid, with a whopping price tag of around $500,000.One wine connoisseur described the wine as: “Exceptionally impressive. Sensational nose of jammy blackcurrants and subtle toasty oak. Stunningly proportioned, ripe, intense fruit, full body, great purity… inner-core of sweet, creamy, highly extracted blackcurrant/cassis fruit. Category: Financial News, Money & EntertainmentThe good thing about writing on wine in a country which is still a nascent market is that one gets to revisit the shelf again and again to see how things are coming along. Thus, what would pass as a strong habit, bordering on addiction, can be underwritten as an earnest effort to merely keep oneself well informed of what’s happening in the wine world.

We still don’t have the concept of vintage in India, which means that even the top wines will more or less taste similar, no matter which year they are made in. Part of the reason for this is that we don’t store wines long enough to see a marked difference show up, but the other reason is that very few wines are made in a manner to exhibit individuality over uniformity. Nevertheless, the quality of wine produced in India has been going up steadily over the years, as wineries get better at what they do.Here then are my top picks of red wines – some are properly cellar-worthy while others will pack a mean punch wrapped in a silken glove. With all of them, I recommend decanting for a good part of an hour (if not two) before serving.A big brooding boisterous red, the kind that makes steaks melt. The fruit is present but sits beneath the oak which impart rich chocolate-coffee-toasty primary notes. With a name like Chêne (French for oak) one wouldn’t expect anything else.A very complex reserved wine, layered and structured.

This wine needs decanting —minimum 2-3 hours but if you can manage 4-5, even better — and then it evolves into an elegant full-bodied wine.A very drinkable fruity red wine with body and length. This grape is India’s rising star and KRSMA does a good version, fruity and yet with some spiced richness.The only Tempranillo exploit out of India, and one good enough to take on Spanish Rioja. If this is a sign of things to come, Tempranillo stands to become a big Indian superstar.A very drinkable wine, absolute crowd-pleaser. The first red wine that put India on the world wine map. Michel Rolland was crucial in helping put this Shiraz-Cabernet wine together. It’s made in both our winemaking states but, as always, prefer the Bangalore-origin stock over Nashik.The most iconic red in India, one that definitely ages well. Cabernet normally doesn’t do great in Indian soils but this one is quite the anomaly. Also available in Magnums which will age even better.A juicy floral-fruity red wine with intense berry-spice notes.

The oak is gentle and never masks the fruit.  Again, this winery is paving the way for Malbec to become an Indian staple.A red that shows an impressive breadth of flavours but not heavy or daunting at all. Mostly Shiraz but also Cabernet, the philosophy for this blend is guided by one simple principle: only the best estate wines go into it.Another serious and worthwhile expression of Cabernet Sauvignon (I already mentioned that India generally makes below average Cabernet S.). This is a balanced wine, decent fruit and then honed further with barrel ageing.A good expression of Syrah with plenty of fruit on the nose and palate. There have been some inconsistencies somewhere along the road but the wines are always well above average.One very well-priced Reserve-level balanced wine with nuanced complexity. It drinks well straight out of the bottle (as in no need to decant, not that you can give the bottle lip service). Proceeds from the sale of this wine go to charity, in case you need another reason to go for it.