En Primeur: Wine Futures
En Primeur is famously known as “Wine Futures’’ and is a trade name from Bordeaux, France. It means buying wine when it is still in the barrel, prior to being bottled. The wines are showcased in small barrels and is then tasted by wine trade professionals.
An opening price is decided by the winery (usually grand cru classe) for a certain portion of their total production. This proportion of wine is sold to wine brokers who further sell it at En Primeur offer prices. The wines are bottled and delivered a few years after, when the vintage is released in the market.
Advantages of En Primeur