The founder of the Wijnmakelaarsunie made it a point of honour to personally select the finest wines. He placed his treasures in his cellars in Diepenbeek, where a visitor could admire the most extraordinary bottles. His slogan was “le vin, c’est mon art”.
Unfortunately, after 50 years, this life’s work has come to an end due to bankruptcy. Winefields considers it an honour to bring the Excellent & Superb Wines of this Museum Collection under the hammer.
Evaluating / Restoring & Photographing
Winefield’s Auctioneers has been carefully charting the entire Wijnmakelaarsunie Museum Collection for some time now.
Our experts and appraisers have every bottle in their hands. The wines are grouped by lot, the condition described, if necessary, professional restoration work is carried out before the bottles are photographed and end up in the catalogue.
>130.000 bottles
The collection that comes under the hammer at Winefields comprises around 50,000 bottles of exceptional producers, these bottles are part of the total collection of approximately 130,000 bottles.
The team at Winefields expects to make various discoveries in the cellars of the Wijnmakelaarsunie in the near future.
– WMUMC part 1 –
Date: Sunday 24 March 2019
Location: Kasteel Genoelselderen, Kasteelstraat 9, 3770 Riemst
Country: Belgium
Register for the Auction!
– WMUMC Part 2 –
Date: Cancelled
Location: Kasteel Genoelselderen, Kasteelstraat 9, 3770 Riemst
Country: Belgium
Register Here!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwdQJos6PoY&feature=youtu.be
Impression of the collection
– Catalogus part 1 –
– Catalogus part 2 –
Press Releases
February 15, 2019
“Museum Collection”: the largest wine collection in the Benelux ever under the hammer
The ‘Wijnmakelaarsunie’ (Wine brokers union), once the largest wine importer in Belgium, was declared bankrupt in June 2018. The Wijnmakelaarsunie was known as the Belgian distributor of iconic wineries such as Leroy, Romanée-Conti and Petrus. During its more than 50 years of existence, the union created a unique wine collection, which it presented in its wine cellars in Diepenbeek.
Curator Hubert Berghs entrusts the unique collection to the auction house Troostwijk Auctions. Due to the exclusive nature of a number of wines, Troostwijk Auctions cooperates with Winefield’s Auctioneers auction house, which specializes in wine.
“We have already been talking to the curator for a few months,” says Diethard Huygen, the dedicated expert of Troostwijk Auctions. “That may seem a long time, but a large dossier like this requires thorough and professional preparation. Now that our plans are tailored and ready, we can get started.”
Maximize yield
“It is always sad when a company has to close its doors, whatever the reason may be”, says Andy Vons, managing director of Troostwijk Belgium. “It is our role, in such situations, to maximize the value for the benefit of the creditors.” Troostwijk Auctions and BVA belong to TBAuctions, the largest online auction platform in Europe. The total collection adds up to more than 130,000 bottles. “With millions of visits on our website per month, we have the scope to really maximize that value.”
Collaboration between Troostwijk Auctions and Winefield’s Auctioneers
Winefield’s Auctioneers is a specialized wine auction house with a proven track record. Since 2006 it has been organizing wine auctions from its own offices in Amsterdam and Singapore.
The logistics center of the Wijnmakelaarsunie (Wine brokers union) is huge and contains very exclusive wines. “For that reason we decided to involve a specialized partner in this dossier. We are convinced that this will have a positive effect on the result, “says Vons.
Milan Veld, the founder of Winefield’s Auctioneers, is enthusiastic about the upcoming collaboration. “We are very pleased to be involved in this unique collection. Our team of specialists is ready to appropriately describe and value the special bottles. We have only seen the tip of the iceberg, but the wine world will be amazed at what is placed on the market.
Multiple auctionsFrom mid-March onwards, several live and online auctions will be organized. Both on www.troostwijkauctions.com and on www.winefields.com. The auction calendar will be announced in the short term. About TBAuctionsWith the main brands Troostwijk Auctions & Valuations and BVA Auctions, TBAuctions is the largest auction platform in Europe. TBAuctions sells movable and immovable property on behalf of third parties and realizes the best yield in the market, is fast, safe and transparent. TBAuctions has experts in all sectors. www.troostwijkauctions.com and www.bva-auctions.com About Winefield’s AuctioneersWinefield’s Auctioneers is an auction house specialized in wine with auctions in both Asia and Europe and its own team of appraisers and wine experts. Winefield’s Auctioneers was founded in Amsterdam in 2006 by Milan Veld and has been auctioning in Singapore since 2009. In both countries, Winefield’s Auctioneers occupy the position of market leader. www.winefields.com
