“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. best value italian white wineThis wine is produced on a tiny parcel of land where vines are on the average over 50 years old.the best wine tasting experienceIn 1996, eight bottles of this elegant wine were sold at Sotheby’s for US $224,900. best wine list 2015 australiaThe 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 wine cost in india

In 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. 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. best rated wine clubs canadaThe $114,614 price-tag is almost equal to $23,000 per 750 ml.one hope wine free shipping codeSold 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. “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.One 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.

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.A 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. Despite 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 & EntertainmentThat may be true if you are mass-producing wine, practicing economies of scale in order to efficiently create a specified product with advanced technology. Big Agriculture and fast-food companies operate on similar principles, which is why it is cheaper to buy a sack of burgers at McDonald’s than it is to buy good ingredients to make your own. I would rather pay more for good food than settle for something cheaper, even if it’s edible. The same applies to wine.

Made on a giant scale, wine for the most part is a commodity, sound but uninteresting. Made on a smaller scale, with an eye toward quality, wine becomes a labor of love, with more personality and character than what’s rolled out in the millions of bottles. Is this equation always true? More than a million bottles of the Juvé y Camps cava on my list are produced annually. But it is true more often than not.The sorts of wines I’ve selected, which speak of a place and express a culture, generally cost more. They require more sweat to produce and more investment financially and emotionally. Their value is in the soul they radiate. If you love wine, it’s a price worth paying.Finding these wines requires looking on the margins. You won’t find bottles from the most prestigious regions on this list. But it’s worth departing from the main highways of wine. In wine and in life, the best discoveries are often on the back roads. Eminence Road Farm Winery Seneca Lake Riesling 2012 $20The Finger Lakes region of New York has become the great American source for fine rieslings.

The wines of Eminence Road Farm Winery are practically handmade, unfiltered with as few additions as possible. The 2012 riesling is a bit cloudy and will leave some sediment at the bottom of the glass, but it’s an earthy, gravelly delight, gentle and balanced. Jochen Beurer Württemberg Riesling Trocken 2013 $19Outside of the Rhine and Mosel areas, Americans are largely unfamiliar with other German wine regions, like Württemberg in the southwest, near Stuttgart. In Germany, it’s better known for red wine, but this riesling, grown on limestone soils, is simply beautiful: stony, chalky and floral. (Selection Massale, San Leandro, Calif.) Peter Lauer Saar Riesling ‘Barrel X’ 2013 $18“Barrel X” is the entry-level riesling of Peter Lauer, which has become something of a cult producer. Its wines are precise and jewel-like, and this one is no different, rocky on the palate with an almost razor-like focus and just the most tender touch of residual sugar. (Vom Boden/T. Elenteny Imports, New York)

Geil Rheinhessen Muskateller Trocken 2013 $17Muskateller is German for muscat blanc à petits grains, the classic muscat grape, one of the oldest, most aromatic and least appreciated varieties. This is a perfect little touch of springtime in a glass, lively and floral, well balanced and refreshing. (A Terry Theise Selection/Skurnik Wines, New York)Domaine de la Pépière Muscadet Sèvre et Maine sur Lie Clos des Briords Cuvée Vieilles Vignes 2013 $20 The dense minerality of this wine is extraordinary. It’s a brilliant Muscadet, full of energy, delicious now but a wine that will age for years. Producers like Pépière are changing minds about Muscadet. If you still think it’s simply a light quaffing wine, try this and reconsider. (Louis/Dressner Selections, New York) Pheasant’s Tears Kakheti Rkatsiteli 2011 $19 This unusual wine, made from the ancient rkatsiteli grape, comes from the republic of Georgia, a cradle of winemaking history. It is fermented and aged in a qvevri, a traditional clay vessel lined with beeswax and buried in the earth.

The result is a deep amber wine with a raspy texture, steely and full-bodied, with aromas and flavors of apples, herbs and nuts. (Terrell Wines, San Francisco)Shinn Estate North Fork of Long Island Sauvignon Blanc ‘First Fruit’ 2013 $18Shinn Estate is one of my favorite Long Island producers. Its wines always seem alive in the glass, energetic and full of pleasure, and this sauvignon blanc is no different. It’s light and tangy, almost succulent, with fresh fruit flavors. It’s called “First Fruit” because its sauvignon blanc grapes are the first to be harvested each year. Birichino Monterey Malvasia Bianca 2012 $18You don’t see much malvasia from California, even though the grape was introduced to the state by Italian immigrants in the 19th century. Malvasia Bianca is actually one of many grapes, not necessarily related, that go by the malvasia name. This one is focused and bold, with bright, bracing, fresh fruit flavors that linger. Angiolino Maule Rosso del Veneto I.G.T. Masieri 2013 $17Angiolino Maule makes wines almost as naturally as possible.

Aside from a minimal amount of sulfur dioxide as a preservative, ingredients include grapes only, mostly merlot with some cabernet sauvignon. It’s the Bordeaux formula, but this wine, from the Veneto, is very different, lively and precise with earthy flavors of red fruit. Pierre-Marie Chermette Domaine du Vissoux Beaujolais Cuvée Traditionnelle Vieilles Vignes 2013 $17In the old days, before Beaujolais Nouveau became a phenomenon, good Beaujolais was like this: fresh with aromas and flavors of red and black fruits, slightly bitter and entirely refreshing. In a word: joyous. Nowadays, when we have great cru Beaujolais to choose from, I’m glad we also have simply delicious bottles like this. Perfect to drink in a tumbler. Domaine de la Chevalerie Bourgueil ‘Diptyque Dernier Cri’ 2012 $16Wine writers perennially seem to urge consumers to seek great values among the red wines of the Loire Valley, generally to little effect. Let’s try this: Everybody should avoid this beautifully balanced, energetic wine, full of the aromas and flavors of minerals and dark fruits.

Why would anybody want to drink a wine like this? (Fruit of the Vines, New York)Musar Jeune Bekaa Valley of Lebanon 2010 $18 This is not the great, idiosyncratic, long-lived red of Chateau Musar. It’s a less expensive wine made to be drunk young. Even so, it’s really good, spicy and earthy, with a flavor that seems to combine dark fruits and soy. It’s made primarily of cinsault, with some syrah and cabernet sauvignon blended in. Better a taste of Musar that stands well on its own than no Musar at all. (Broadbent Selections, San Francisco) Juvé y Camps Cava Brut Nature Reserva de la Familia 2010 $18 No matter what the season, we must have sparkling wine. Cava, mostly from the Penedès region of northeastern Spain, is made in the same manner as Champagne, but with different grapes. Good versions, like this one from Juvé y Camps, can be great values. It’s crisp, bone dry, almost cloudlike, with aromas of herbs and anise. Pont de Gassac Pays d’Hérault Selection Guibert 2012 $16This entry-level bottle from Mas de Daumas Gassac, one of the leading producers of the Languedoc, is a superb value.

It’s juicy and agile, with a welcome tannic bite and a bit of bitterness that refreshes. The blend is half cabernet sauvignon, 30 percent merlot and 20 percent syrah. (Polaner Selections, Mount Kisco, N.Y.)Bedrock California Shebang Eighth Cuvée $15This modern facsimile of an old-time California field blend, made from multiple vineyards and multiple vintages, is spicy and savory and just plain delicious. Unlike many inexpensive California wines, it’s not sweet, oak-flavored or simple. You could call it an inexpensive adult wine, not especially complex but great for burgers, sausages and pizza. Frontón de Oro Gran Canaria Tinto 2012 $16This red, from Gran Canaria in the Canary Islands, is not without tannins. Though its flavors of red fruits and herbs are somewhat restrained, it is robust enough to stand up to a steak. Made from the listán negro grape. (David Bowler Wine, New York) Cavallotto Langhe Freisa 2011 $20Freisa is a relative of the nebbiolo grape, and it has marked similarities.

In fact, you could easily mistake the mouth-coating tannins and aromas and flavors of licorice and flowers for nebbiolo, though it doesn’t have the same depth or complexity. Still, this wine, made by a superb Langhe producer, is a graceful, delicious gem. (Skurnik Wines, New York)Rainoldi Valtellina Superiore Grumello 2010 $18 Valtellina, in the north of Italy near the border of Lombardy and Switzerland, offers an alternative expression of nebbiolo, from the mountains. This version, from the Grumello zone of Valtellina Superiore, offers complex flavors of dried cherries, tobacco, herbs and spices. It’s fresh, well structured, already complex and a great deal. (Skurnik Wines, New York) Gutiérrez Colosía Fino El Puerto de Santa María NV $18The fino sherries of Jerez de la Frontera and Sanlúcar de Barrameda (where they are called manzanilla) are well known. Those from the third corner of the sherry triangle, El Puerto de Santa María, are less so. This excellent fino, from El Puerto, is intensely saline, with sharp, well-chiseled, nutlike flavors.