Wine club collapse prompts major sell-off

By Lisa Riley

Published: 04 October, 2019

Over 4,000 bottles of fine wine are to go under the hammer in an online auction next week following the collapse of Lincolnshire-based wine club 3D Wines.

Founded in the early 1990s 3D Wines, which went into voluntary liquidation on September 23rd, specialised in seeking high quality French wines produced by some of the smaller, less well-known, vineyards.

Following the collapse of the business, liquidators F.A. Simms & Partners has instructed Malcolm Good of auctioneers Eddisons to sell off the entire stock of the company, with the wines having been moved to the Eddisons CJM Auction Centre in Scunthorpe ready to go under the hammer in an online auction ending 10th October.

Auctioneer Paul Cooper said: “We’ve handled a number of high value drinks trade disposals around the country in the past couple of years but this auction is particularly noteworthy both in terms of the quantity and the interesting range of the wines.

“3D’s edge was that as well as stocking the famous names, they went off the beaten track to find and forge links with smaller winemakers who might be quite obscure but were producing superb wine. The auction reflects that interest. There are wines going under the hammer that have rarely if ever been seen on general sale in this country – because 3D bought the entire available vintage for their membership.”

Over 4,000 bottles had been send over, many of which sold for over £30 a bottle, with the total value is circa £75,000 - £80,000, he added.

“For the most part we have lotted the wines in cases of a dozen or a half a dozen which opens the auction up to private buyers as well as trade people and the fact that the auction is online means that bidders anywhere can get involved. The lots are being sold without any reserves.”

The sell-off has been ordered by the insolvency practitioners now handling the winding up of the business, which operated out of premises at Swineshead near Boston.

In addition to selling wines, 3D had also developed a travel business, arranging trips for members to visit partner vineyards, collect wine and to attend wine-related events around France. The business received a major boost when the wine writer and broadcaster Oz Clarke filmed one of 3D’s grape picking events in the Loire Valley for the BBC Food & Drink programme.

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