What does fee-only mean for wine?

It means the only money we accept comes from you, disclosed before we begin. We are never paid by a retailer, an auction house, or a marketplace for directing business their way — so our recommendation is never shaped by who is paying us.

How is Prestige Vin paid?

A published sourcing fee on acquisitions, or an ongoing advisory retainer for clients who prefer standing counsel. Both are agreed with you in advance. There is no other channel of compensation.

Do you ever sell wine?

No. Prestige Vin holds no retail or auction license and carries no inventory. You purchase directly from the retailer or auction house we identify, at their price, in your name.

You do, or the licensed storage facility of your choosing. We never take possession of a client's wine — a house that never holds inventory has nothing to lose track of.

We never sell wine. That is the point.

Prestige Vin is America's fee-only private wine advisory. You purchase directly from licensed retailers, at their price. We are paid only by you, for our judgment — disclosed before we search, and never dependent on what you buy or from whom.

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The conflict

How this industry is paid

Most counsel on fine wine is paid by the transaction it produces. A marketplace takes its percentage on the sale. An auction house collects a premium from both sides of the hammer. A retailer's margin is built into the shelf price before you ever see a number. None of it is disclosed to you as a fee — it is simply the price you pay, and it means the person advising you is compensated for reaching one outcome: a sale.

The past two years have supplied a harder lesson. Firms that took custody of client wine — promising storage, appreciation, a future exit — have collapsed with the bottles unaccounted for. Holding inventory and holding a client's trust turned out to be the same fragile arrangement.

Channel	Cost	Who the advice serves
Prestige Vin sourcing fee	10% → 5%, client-paid, disclosed	None — we sell nothing and hold nothing
Marketplace commissions (e.g. Vinfolio)	≈15% of sale	Platform is paid by the transaction
Auction buyer's premium	20–25% over hammer	House is paid by volume, both sides
Retail markup	30–50% built into the shelf price	Advice comes from the seller

Our fee

How we are paid

10% of purchase price, and nothing else.

Our sourcing fee is paid by you, disclosed before we search, and is the only compensation we take. We hold no inventory, accept no retailer margin, and take no referral fees — so the bottle we recommend is only ever the right bottle.

10% on the first $25,000, 5% on everything above. $250 minimum.

Clients who prefer standing counsel retain us instead. Cellar Direction begins at $500 per month — Ongoing counsel for a living collection: acquisition strategy, allocation hunting, drinking-window management, records, and gifting on call.

Fees cover curation and service. Wines are sourced to your budget and purchased directly from licensed retailers; glassware and rentals, where needed, at cost.

"A fee-only advisor is paid to be right. Everyone else is paid to sell."

Custody

Your wine. Your name. Your receipts.

Every bottle is purchased in your name, directly from a licensed retailer or auction house — never from us.

We never take title, custody, or possession of wine at any stage of an engagement.

Provenance and purchase records are documented at the moment of acquisition and remain yours — for insurance, resale, or an estate.

If a merchant cannot produce clean provenance, we do not recommend the purchase.

Frequently Asked Questions

Discretion. Precision. Ritual.

If you would rather work with someone who is only ever paid by you, tell us what you're building or holding. We'll respond privately.