The Gift Exchange

Did you know……

$7,686 was paid at auction for the first bottle of Tutankhamun Ale? It was developed by Cambridge University scientists who gleaned the recipe from hieroglyphics and brewing dregs from the catacombs of one of Tut’s in-laws.

Remy Martin’s venerable Louis XIII’s upscale “Black Pearl,” sells for over $10,000 a bottle? Unlike the regular Louis XIII bottling (about $1500), Black Pearl is blended from 1200 different eau-de-vie, raging in age from 40 to 100 years. It’s so exclusive that it’s sold by invitation only. The average joe can’t even look at the product at their website without a password. (Oo la la!)

In 2005, a Methuselah of 1990 Louis Roederer Cristal, fetched $14,730 at auction? A Methuselah (explanation) is a giant bottle of Champagne equal to eight regular sized (750ml) bottles. So, really it was only like $1,841.25 a bottle. What a deal!

At a 1985 Sotheby’s auction, a bottle of 1787 Chateau Lafite was purchased for $160,000? Even without adjusting for inflation, this still stands as the most expensive bottle of wine ever sold (or bought even). Why so much for an undrinkable bottle of rotted vinegar? This relic was in the proud possession of Thomas Jefferson, whose initials are etched into the bottle.

In 1989, another of Thomas Jefferson’s Bordeaux’s (this time a 1787 Chateau Margaux) was taken to the Four Seasons restaurant in New York to show it off. Near the end of the evening, a waiter bumped the dinner table and upended the wine, resulting in a total loss. A total insured loss of $225,000. Cheers!

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