What Acker does

Acker, Merrall & Condit Company (operating as Acker Wines) is America's oldest wine merchant, founded in 1820 in New York and operating as a privately held family-owned business. The company runs the world's leading fine wine auction platform, combining marquee live auction events in New York/Delaware, Hong Kong, Zürich, and Singapore with 24/7 weekly web auctions, a global direct-to-consumer retail storefront, dedicated iOS/Android mobile apps, complimentary consignment and appraisal services, climate-controlled wine storage in Hong Kong, wine clubs, corporate gifting, and a luxury tasting venue (The Last Drop Club) in Hong Kong. Supporting the auction and retail operations is a proprietary technology stack including the Acker Wine Index, Wine Monitor, and Wine Analytics data products and a Palate Matcher flavor-based recommendation engine.

The business model is anchored in transaction-based auction revenue (buyer's premium and seller commissions on consigned collections) supplemented by fixed-price retail sales of wines, spirits, and caviar, recurring wine storage contracts, wine-club subscriptions, and bespoke corporate services. Acker's customer base spans high-net-worth collectors and investors (primary), hospitality and restaurant trade buyers, and enthusiast wine-club members, served through a hybrid go-to-market that blends enterprise account management for trophy consignors, event-driven acquisition (live auctions, tastings, excursions), and direct-to-consumer e-commerce.

Acker's most cited performance benchmarks include cumulative auction sales exceeding $200M, 4,500+ world records set in 2025, the $812,500 all-time-record sale of a 1945 DRC bottle in 2026, $25M+ cleared at the 2026 La Paulée auction, and a +11.3% move in the Fine & Rare Wine Index in Q1 2026. The company operates wholly-owned regional subsidiaries Acker UK and Acker Asia and has no disclosed external investors, parent company, or acquisition history.

Name

Acker

Legal name

Acker, Merrall & Condit Company

Website

https://ackerwines.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1820

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Acker is a privately held, 200-year-old New York-based fine wine merchant and global auction house, conducting live and online auctions alongside direct-to-consumer retail, storage, wine clubs, and corporate services for high-net-worth collectors, hospitality trade, and enthusiast consumers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fine Wine Auctions & Retail

NAICS

Wine and Distilled Alcoholic Beverage Merchant Wholesalers (424820), Wine and Distilled Alcoholic Beverage Merchant Wholesalers (42482), Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers (445320), Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers (4453), Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers (44532), Jewelry Retailers (458310)

SIC

Wholesale-Beer, Wine & Distilled Alcoholic Beverages (5180), Wholesale-Jewelry, Watches, Precious Stones & Metals (5094)

akta.pro primary industry

Fine Wine & Luxury Spirits Retail (CRANABAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Auction Houses (Luxury Watches & Jewelry) (CRAKAKAF), Wine Shops (Off-Premise) (CRANAAAB)

Keywords

• Fine wine auctions
• Wine retail
• Wine consignment
• Wine market analytics
• Rare wine trading

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Auction Commissions: Acker earns commissions on fine and rare wine and spirits auctions. Sellers consigne collections for a fee while buyers pay a buyer's premium on winning bids. The auction business is the core revenue driver, with events generating estimated sales approaching $6M per major US auction.
2. Retail Wine & Spirits Sales: Direct-to-consumer sales of wine, spirits, and caviar through the Acker e-commerce platform. The shop features thousands of SKUs across all price points, with sales, case discounts, and holiday promotions driving volume.
3. Wine Consignment & Appraisal Services: Complimentary wine appraisals and consignment services for collectors looking to sell. Dedicated specialists guide sellers through shipping and auctioning their collections.
4. Wine Storage: Secure, competitively priced wine storage services, particularly for Asia-based customers with dedicated storage facilities in Hong Kong.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Acker operates the world's leading fine wine auction house, hosting live auctions in New York, Hong Kong, Zürich, and Singapore plus weekly web-based auctions open globally to online and mobile bidders. In parallel, the firm runs a global D2C wine, spirits, and caviar retail shop; provides consignment and complimentary appraisal services; sells wine club memberships; offers secure wine storage in Asia; and operates The Last Drop Club luxury tasting room in Hong Kong.

Product overview

Acker is a fine wine auction house and retail merchant operating since 1820, offering a multi-channel platform combining live and web-based auctions with direct retail sales. The core offering includes Wine Auctions (live events in New York, Hong Kong, Switzerland, Singapore, and weekly web auctions) and a Global Retail Shop for direct wine and spirit purchases. Supporting services include Wine Consignment (with complimentary appraisals), the Acker Wine Index/Monitor/Analytics tools for market intelligence, Wine Club membership, Wine Storage services, and The Last Drop Club luxury tasting room in Hong Kong. The company also offers Wine Workshops, Excursions, Corporate Services, and sells Acker Private Label wines alongside partnered products like Calvisius Caviar. A mobile app enables remote auction participation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Wine Auctions (Live and Web)

Quantifiable outcome

• World record sale of 1945 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti for $812,500 — highest price ever for a single bottle of wine at auction
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Christie'sminorOthers · 16 June 2026Christie's is described as a competitor in the fine wine auction market. A recent news article notes that Christie's wine auction business generated $89 million in global revenues, trailing Acker's market leadership position. Acker's competitive position is highlighted in the context of Christie's new legislative lobbying efforts to expand its wine retail business.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Christie's: Global fine art and luxury auction house with an expanding wine auction vertical. Direct competitor in fine wine auctions; cited in coverage as generating $89M in global wine auction revenues while trailing Acker in market share.
• Bonhams: International auction house with an active fine wine department across New York, London, and Hong Kong. Competes for rare wine consignments within a broader luxury portfolio.
• Sotheby's: Major global auction house with a dedicated Sotheby's Wine division. Competes with Acker for fine and rare wine consignments and trophy bottle sales, with a broader luxury portfolio.

Direct peers

• Heritage Auctions: Large U.S. auction house operating a wine department alongside coins, art, and collectibles. Overlaps with Acker in fine and rare wine auctions, especially for trophy lots.
• K&L Wine Merchants: U.S.-based fine wine and spirits retailer with strong online direct-to-consumer channel. Comparable to Acker's retail shop and DTC motion for fine wine buyers.
• Berry Bros. & Rudd: Historic British fine wine merchant (founded 1698) with auction, retail, and storage operations. Direct comparable as a heritage wine merchant combining auctions with retail and storage.
• Wine Bid: Online wine auction platform with daily auctions focused on mid-market to premium bottles. Comparable as an online, technology-driven fine wine auction channel competing for the same bidder base.
• Hart Davis Hart Wine Co. U.S. fine wine auction house specializing in rare and collectible wines. Direct competitor in the Chicago/regional U.S. auction market with similar buyer premium and consignment model.
• Zachys: Long-established U.S. fine wine auction house and retailer. Direct competitor with similar auction-plus-retail model targeting serious collectors in the U.S. market.

Others

• Wine-Searcher: Wine marketplace and price comparison platform aggregating retailer and auction listings. Adjacent comparable for its role as price-discovery and market data infrastructure for fine wine buyers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/AckerMerrall
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCuQdyQt1o0wBLe4dvlWKVxg
• Facebookfacebook.com/AckerWines
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/acker-merrall-&-condit
• Instagraminstagram.com/ackerwines

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Acker