HONG KONG (Commodity Online): Spectrum Wine Auctions, the world’s newest live and online auction house of fine collectible wine, announced that it will simulcast its premiere live auction via satellite at Crown Wine Cellars in Hong Kong at 9:00 am Hong Kong time on November 22.

Spectrum has anchored the auction with a selection of wines from “The Aubrey McClendon Collection”. The auction’s 686 lots comprise 5,500 total bottles; 3,900 come from the McClendon Collection. It simultaneously takes place on November 21 at 5 pm pacific standard time in the US at the St. Regis Monarch Beach Resort in California.

Many in the wine world consider Aubrey McClendon to be one of the greatest American wine collectors, having built an extensive collection highlighted by the best vintages of French Bordeaux and Burgundies, as well as a deep collection of impressive Napa selections.

McClendon co-founded Chesapeake Energy Corporation in 1989, which today is one of the largest producers of US natural gas, where he currently serves as chairman of the board and chief executive officer.

“Fine wine buyers have a once in a lifetime opportunity to buy rare and normally unavailable vintages and formats as well as have a chance to own wine pedigreed to one of the greatest wine collectors in history,” said Greg Roberts, chief executive officer of Spectrum Wine Auctions, and president and chief executive officer of parent company Spectrum Group International.

“Historically, our auction experience in other collectibles such as coins and stamps is that collections pedigreed to great collectors almost always trade for premiums down the road. This is an exceptional buying opportunity.”

Spectrum’s pre-auction promotion includes an exclusive interview with McClendon conducted on August 13, 2009, by Mario Sculatti, director of sales and consignments for Spectrum Wine Auctions, which is viewable to registered bidders at www.spectrumwine.com.

The interview presents a rare insight into the interests and philosophies of this great collector, and finishes with McClendon signing an Imperial of 1990 Lafite Rothschild that will be offered during Spectrum Wine Auctions’ November 21 auction, with commissions earned from the sale to be donated to a hometown food bank on behalf of McClendon and Spectrum Wine Auctions.

McClendon’s collection features a diverse assortment including many grand format bottlings. “While I have a lot of 750s, I think the most distinctive part of my collection is the large format bottles,” he says. “And the reason for that is that when I first saw an Imperial of wine…I said to myself, this is a work of art. This is beautiful. And it’s approachable. It’s sharable. It’s understandable, and at the end of the day it’s consumable. A primary collecting goal of mine has been to hunt for top-notch 6-liter bottles of wine over time.”

He continues, “Like anything in life, if you’re going to enjoy something you really ought to try to enjoy, I think, the best of the particular pleasure that you’re seeking, and so I would encourage people to go after the best wines. Because at the end of the day, when I have found myself hosting a business dinner, or a family function, or a group of my friends…I want them to experience a first-class wine experience. I want them to remember it for the rest of their lives, just as I remember some of my very first bottles of wine, as well. So I would encourage people to go for the best.”

“It has been both educational and inspirational to have spent time with Aubrey enjoying his passion for wine as well as gaining insight into his business philosophy and his history building Chesapeake into one of the largest independent oil and gas companies in the US,” Roberts concluded.

“Aubrey cuts to the core of what’s important in collecting,” adds Spectrum’s Director of Sales and Consignments Mario Sculatti. “He collects the best vintages in depth of cases and large format sizes, approaching his collecting seriously and methodically without being tempted by lesser vintages. It was an honor to sit with him and learn about his genuine passion for wine, and any collector—whether new or seasoned—will benefit from his words.”

Spectrum Wine Auctions, based in Irvine, Calif., delivers a worldwide buying, selling and appraisal venue for collectors of rare and fine vintage wines. Live wine auctions in premier locations from Napa Valley to Hong Kong, as well as online wine auctions that span the globe, offer bidders and consignors alike the opportunity to collect and sell their favorite wines of the world with confidence and ease.

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