Provenance

The provenance of a wine is the description of the history of the bottle and the conditions in which it has been stored. This information is critical, particularly for older wines that may be more fragile. At WineBid.com we make every effort to determine the provenance of each bottle we auction. We describe the provenance within the detailed lot description, most often describing the conditions in which it has been stored and detailing the wine's history if it is an older bottle. Here are descriptions of common cellaring conditions.

Temperature Controlled Unit

This description is often accompanied by the name of the actual storage unit. Examples of units which are purchased for individual use are Breezaire, Whispercool and Vinotemp. These storage units have become popular over the last 20 years providing collectors with compact storage units designed to keep wines cool and dry.

Residential Cellar

This storage facility is usually one of two types, passive or temperature controlled. Passive residential cellars are rooms in a residence with no means of maintaining a permanent temperature. When encountering a consignor with such a cellar, we usually inspect to determine the quality of the storage area. Temperature controlled residential cellars are safer and more reliable.

Underground Cellar

An underground cellar can also be passive or temperature controlled. A passive underground storage area is always preferable to an above ground passive residential cellar. Underground storage is almost always a cooler environment, less susceptible to damaging light, and generally very still.

Professional Storage Facility

Professional storage facilities are lockers in temperature controlled buildings that can be rented by wine collectors.

Direct From Winery

When a winery consigns wine for auction it is described as "Direct From Winery." Nearly all wineries have temperature controlled facilities in which they store their wine. Wines direct from wineries are almost always in the best condition because they are rarely moved and have not changed hands.