Do I hear $5,000? Six thousand? Seven? Do I hear seven? Any other takers? Going once. Going Twice. Sold to The Garrett Hotel Group, which manages the prestigious Relais & Chateaux properties, The Point and Lake Placid Lodge, located in Upstate New York.   

Wonder what The Garrett Hotel Group got for its money? Wine, of course. And like many others in the restaurant game, buying wine at auction has become an increasingly popular way to maintain a high-quality, eclectic cellar without breaking the bank—giving the sommelier an opportunity to sell slow moving inventory and bring in new wines according to prevailing trends and customer demand. Auction-style-buying at a small hotel like The Point and Lake Placid Lodge means guests—especially those who return regularly—experience greater variety at a better value than they would if the wine were purchased through a distributor. The lower price point allows a small restaurant the chance to offer a selection equal to the cellar of a large restaurant where resources for establishing a wine list are less restricted.  

Buying wines at the drop of the gavel is nothing new to The Garrett Hotel Group which has been acquiring wines this way for years.  Because the properties are small, buying at auction works perfectly, almost as if wines are being bought for one’s home.  

The hotels are well acquainted with their guests, so The Point and Lake Placid Lodge know the likes and dislikes of a guest. Sometimes a guest will call and request a particular kind of wine when the President or CEO from The Garrett Hotel Group goes to auction so he or she has it upon return to the hotel. Perhaps that guest has come to like South African wines and sees a stay at The Point a great opportunity to drink the wines of that country for the weekend. The Garrett Hotel Group is now able to fill such a request.  

The Garrett Hotel Group feels it’s especially exciting to buy a wine that you know will create memories.  The wine, not the occasion, becomes the reason for the celebration. The experience of enjoying a rare wine creates memories. What comes in the bottle is more than wine.  

Wines are purchased mostly in New York, primarily from Morrell’s and Christie’s. The bulk of the wine hails from Bordeaux and California, but recently Italian and Spanish selections have been added. The majority of the wines are older and rarer vintages. Interestingly, The Garrett Hotel Group also purchases wine “futures,” committing to buying a wine that has not been released and may not be ready for another two years. Bordeaux is increasingly being bought this way, with anticipated quality of the wine determined by its history and taste in the barrel of a well-established winery. 

The most unusual request the President has received came from a regular guest who brought his family to The Point to celebrate his birthday. He asked that four bottles of Bordeaux Grand Cru be purchased on his behalf for each of the family members’ birth year.   

The Point, Lake Placid Lodge and The Inn of The Five Graces, all operated by The Garrett Hotel Group, are members of Relais & Châteaux, the prestigious international association of privately owned hotels and restaurants embodying the highest culinary standards and the French “art de vivre.”