To build a truly great wine collection, you've got to find rare vintages. Humans have been searching for outstanding wine since at least the time of the ancient Greeks, or about 300 B.C. By then, wine from Greece and its colonies was in such great demand that ships loaded with wine amphorae crisscrossed the Mediterranean on a regular basis.

The world of wine indeed evolves slowly, according to The Robb Report, noting that our taste for fine wine and our desire to acquire it today is not much different than it was in 300 B.C. The ways in which we acquire fine wines, however, have changed dramatically. Today wine connoisseurs and collectors can buy wine at wine shops, discounters, wineries, and auctions. That means that if you're trying to build a world-class collection, you have sources for fine wine that ancient collectors could only have dreamed about.

Nevertheless, it can still be difficult to find that hard-to-find “trophy” bottle missing from your cellar. Even fine wine retailers rarely stock older vintages, and mailing list wines are made in such limited production that they are rarely offered for sale. WineBid and other online wine auctions make it easier for collectors to find rare wines. Online auctions run 24/7 and cater to buyers, and sellers, of fine and rare wine around the world. WineBid's auctions run weekly, and they offer new lots every week.

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