Besides pouring over the multitude of catalogues that I receive, is there a good, easy way to get a good valuation on a wine? Perhaps a wine related website where I can do a search and come up with the going price?

So many catologues that I get have lots of holes in their listings and you can't find what you're looking for.

For example, I'm hunting the "value" of a 1994 Harlan Estate. I haven't come up with a good answer.....yet.

Thanks for any help.

I just posted a note about this wine (and the 95) because I saw it in a local shop for $600 (ridiculous!)

Someone told me it was going for $400 at Winebid.

100pts from Parker and ShorttheWorld's personal best wine ever. If you find out an answer on the valuation that you think is reasonable, please let us know.

My friend, @ this time I cannot help you. Sorry.

BUT, stay tuned to the Site. Help is on the way. Time, time, time...

Thanks.

I saw this at a wineshop for $400 here in town and wasn't sure if it was a steal or robbery. I suppose it depends upon the perspective.

And no, at $400, it wasn't in my purchase plans. But, being of a curious nature...

L_C_C----We're waiting......

I know. Time is our worst enemy. Imagination/Ideas/Future Plans for the Site are NOT!!!

I would consider $400 a good price on the '94 Harlan Estate assuming perfect storage conditions.

....and yes, patience is a virtue. What you are describing is part of our master plan. Ask and ye shall receive (in due time of course!)

WDoT, one site you might try is winecommune.com. You can search the past auctions and see their closed prices.

WDoT, www.wine-searcher.com is your friend. Get the "Pro Version" for $25 (only site I've ever paid for). This can give you a good idea as to what a wine is worth.

Btw, the 1994 Harlan is listed for $480 on up.

p.s. I have no relationship with wine-searcher.com other than a very satisfied customer.

I searched for some recent experiences with winesearcher pro, but couldn't find any. Any opinion about whether the "pro" version is worth the $30/year? It seems that many of the reputable retailers are already available on the "free" version (premier cru, k&l, etc.). Does the "pro" version give access to lower prices from reputable retailers that aren't on the free version's radar? With wine prices increasing sharply, I'm finding it harder to score decent deals, so just wondering if the "pro" version will make a difference.

Pretty darn funny.... the Harlan is now going for $1000 and up. 2003 to 2008, a return of 100% seems like a good investment.

What si interesting about wine is that it is unlike most other investment vehicles. Most investments, as time goes on, the inventory remains static. For example, the number of houses in my neighborhood will not change. The number of shares of IBM will not change, unless it goes up. The quantity of gold in the world will not change except to go up.

The single investment similar to wine in attributes is... oil. There is less oil than in 2003. However, the number of bottles of 1994 Harlan is far more limited than petrochemicals ever could be.

Hmmm... For a small investor, who knows what he is doing, is there possibly a better investment than wine? (Excluding outliers such as GOOG, AAPL, etc)

My problem is that I drink it for enjoyment. Perhaps I should allocate a certain portion of my cellar to investment?