The art of wine tasting is a subtle one. And the ability to spot an exceptionally rare or valuable wine? Well that takes the work of a specialist. Patricia Verschelling is one of our in-house wine experts, and it’s her job to curate our weekly wine auctions with incredible selection and must-have investment bottles. But how does she do this? And how did this become her career? We sat down with Patricia and asked her to share her story and her expertise. Keep reading to find out how she became a wine expert and what she looks for in wine.
Patricia is one of our in-house wine experts, and it’s her job to curate our weekly wine auctions
How did your passion for wine begin?
It started after I finished art school. I was painting, but needed to earn money to pay for my studio and materials. I came to work in a restaurant, owned by a couple who were passionate about food and wine. The lady became a good friend of mine and taught me the difference in wines by letting me taste all the wines on the menu (and it was quite a menu I can tell you). I liked wine before, but had never tasted wines other than the bottles you can buy in the supermarket. It turned out I had a good palate for wines and before I knew it I joined in all the tastings with the wine suppliers and helped to build the wine collection for the restaurant. I also started to attend my first of many wine educations to follow, including the level 4 Diploma Course at WSET.
What is your experience? How did you become a wine expert?
After a while I had to make a choice: art or wine. I chose wine. After the restaurant, I worked in a wine bar, more restaurants, started my own company, did sales for a wine importer, sold wines in a wine shop, did wine tastings and finally I worked for an auction company specialised in wines. There I learned a lot about collectable bottles and the world of auctions. The auction business is quite a different league - there always needs to be a balance between sellers and buyers. After this, working for Catawiki was the perfect opportunity for me and I have since helped them expand their wine auctions internationally.
Patricia curates the exclusive, the Bordeaux and the Champagne auctions as well as the regular auctions, and most themed auctions
How do you decide which wines are suitable for auction?
They have to be authentic, collectable and in good condition for their age. Collectable wines can be big years of preferably big wines/chateaux, but also smaller producers can be interesting. If the vintage isn't as good, the name of the producer/chateau is important or the wine has to be known to age well; for example great wines of Chenin Blanc from the Loire, German Rieslings, noble sweet wines, Madeira, Port etc. Important for all categories mentioned is the quality of the wine inside and with quality comes the price. Auctions are a great way to buy wines you can’t find in the shops. We also like to auction wines that are great for drinking now, but will not increase in value. Some bottles are bought as an investment and will probably never be consumed. Others are drunk and therefore older vintages become rarer over time.
What do you do for buyers and sellers?
We have a lot of contact with our sellers and try to find or create the auctions which suits their collection best. We also advise them on which wines/lots are doing well at the auctions. If they experience difficulties using our platform, we try to make it easier for them.
We answer the questions buyers have regarding the lots they are interested in. We mediate between the buyers and sellers if there is a problem and depending on the nature of the issue, we help customer support in resolving the matter as well.
What was your favourite lot ever sold at Catawiki?
A magnum of Moët et Chandon "Esprit du Siècle". A special edition made in celebration of the year 2000, it is a blend of Moët's best 20th-century vintages, containing 1900, 1914, 1921, 1934, 1943, 1952, 1962, 1976, 1983, 1985 and 1995. These bottles were given to famous people and some were sold. This particular bottle belonged to an ex-prime minister.
Visit Patricia’s weekly Wine auctions to place your bids for a wide selection of exceptional bottles of wine. From Super Tuscans to Bordeaux, there’s always something exciting for everybody across our 10 weekly wine auctions. Or if you have wine that you want to sell for profit, you can easily offer up your bottles for Patricia and her team to review by registering as a seller. It’s free to register and free to submit your items for auction. Patricia can’t wait to see what you have to offer!
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