Few things are as common to auctions as donated wine or as universally enjoyed as an auction prize. It can be carried home easily, it does not have to be used right way, it does not require redecorating the garden or living room and it can be shared with others. The challenge to the auction organizer is how to distribute the donations efficiently and make money. The standard solution is a Wine Wall.
Many variations exist on this theme but the central idea is that the identity of the wine is not know to the guest until after their purchase. Everyone pays the same and so some may be getting $7 table wine and others $35 vintage but everyone pays $20. If one has a “ringer” bottle, it makes sense to advertise that to drive sales of those looking for the big find. You may want to publish the entire list, wrap the bottles in plain paper to hide the labels, have guests buy a number on a grid that corresponds to a spot on a wine rack and then do a public drawing. We could not even begin to cover the waterfront here.
