Wines from the collections of Napoleon, Nicholas II, and Stalin will be auctioned worldwide
Georgian authorities will auction off a portion of a unique collection stored for over a century in the cellars of Tbilisi's Wine Factory No. 1 worldwide. Among the nearly 20,000 bottles are rare wines and spirits associated with Napoleon Bonaparte, Russian Emperors Alexander III and Nicholas II, and Joseph Stalin.
The Georgian National Wine Agency has announced the launch of a large-scale study of the historic wine collection. Experts will describe and identify each bottle, determine its origin, age, and collectible value. Following this, the unique items are planned to be auctioned.
According to the agency, the winery's cellars contain Georgian and European wines from the 19th century, vintage cognacs, and champagne from the Bagration-Mukhrani princes. Some of the bottles are over 200 years old.
Wine Factory No. 1 in Tbilisi was built in the 1890s with funding from philanthropist David Sarajishvili. The collection once numbered approximately 120,000 bottles. Only about a third have survived to this day.
Representatives from the world's largest auction houses have already expressed interest in Georgia's offer and attended the presentation.
