Research has suggested that the earliest remnants of wine originated between 6000 and 3000 B.C. between the Nile and the Persian Gulf, in the territories of modern Iran and Georgia. Since then, wine has been developed into various categories, with multiple flavours, colours, bouquets, and methods of preparation. Today, there is a wide range of wines available with varying levels of quality. At one end of the spectrum are lower-priced bottles you might come across at a grocery store, and at the other end are high-quality luxury wines. In this blog, our focus is the latter. We’ll examine some of the most luxurious wine brands on the market, the qualities that put them on that list, and the reasons they’re such sought-after additions to any yacht charter.
What makes a wine luxury?
Several factors are considered when categorising a bottle of wine as “luxury”, including the price per bottle. However, price isn’t necessarily an indicator of luxury wine. Another hallmark of luxury wine is the quality of its ingredients – Some wine-makers spend more time and resources on cultivating grapes that will give the wine a distinct and unique flavour.
Luxury winemakers often have a familial legacy of winemaking that dates back decades and sometimes even centuries. For example, the Antinori family in Italy, one of the world’s most popular winemaking families, owns over 300 vineyards in Italy and has produced wine since the 13th century. Furthermore, since some winemakers will only release a small quantity of wine to keep demand high and create exclusivity, the volume of bottles produced annually can help to determine whether a wine is considered a luxury or not.
Egon Müller
Whilst Egon Muller is the current face of Muller winemakers, the family has actually been making wine since the 18th century. Like many other luxury winemakers, the Muller family has built upon their familial heritage/legacy in the winemaking industry, passing down resources and expertise to maintain their status as luxury winemakers. The Muller family owns roughly 8.3 hectares of the famous German vineyard, Scharzhofberg and is one of the region’s top winemakers. Egon Muller is world-famous for making some of the finest Rieslings money can buy. Muller only uses fruits from the Muller vineyard and is in ownership of vines that have grown since the 19th century.
Hermitage
The Chaves family has been growing vines on Hermitage hill for over 500 years, resulting in the luxury wine brand Hermitage. Hermitage is another example of a winemaking family that has passed down insights, resources and expertise over the generations. The Chaves family own 15 hectares of land on Hermitage hill, highlighting the trademark specificity of ingredients in luxury wine. Hermitage wine also employs a specific and meticulous process to produce the wine. First, it’s de-stemmed and then fermented in open wooden vats and cement cuves, then matured in large wooden foudres and small wooden casks for 12-18 months.
Screaming Eagle
Unlike the other wine brands listed, Screaming Eagle does not have an established legacy in the industry since the brand was only established in 1992. However, the location of the winery is ideally situated on the west-facing slope east of the Napa River, which means the grapes benefit from excellent drainage and exposure. In the case of Screaming Eagle, only 500 cases of wine are produced each year. This limited supply helps to drive up demand for the wine and is part of the reason a bottle of Screaming Eagle wine can cost over 5,000 pounds (GBP).
Sierra Cantabria
The Eguren family has been making wine for over five generations, dating back to 1870, and they now produce a luxury range under the moniker Sierra Cantabria. The wines of Sierra Cantabria are the result of the hard work and inspiration of five generations of growers – five generations in touch with the soil, the sky, and the seasons. The Eguren family, including Marcos, Guillermo, Eduardo and Miguel Eguren, own six wineries and offers its patrons a wide range of wines, including Sierra Cantabria white, Rose, Garnacha, Seleccion, Crianza etc.
Order the finest wine
If you’re interested in learning more about any of the wine brands featured on this list or you need to source high-quality wine for an upcoming superyacht charter, don’t hesitate to reach out to our provisioning team to discuss your requirements – Call Now.
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