More than 8,800 bottles from the cellar of chef Ferran Adrià's acclaimed Spanish restaurant to be sold by Sotheby's
More than 8,800 bottles of wines from the cellar of Spain's world-renowned elBulli restaurant will be auctioned in Hong Kong and New York next April in sales that may exceed $1m (£624,000), Sotheby's said on Wednesday.
The award-winning restaurant near Roses, in Calalonia, which has been headed by celebrated the chef Ferran Adrià for 27 years, was regarded by many as the best restaurant in the world. Before it closed last year to make way for the elBulli Foundation "creativity centre", which will open in 2014, the restaurant had earned three Michelin stars and many other accolades for its gastronomic inventions.
Proceeds from the sale of the wines will benefit the foundation.
Adrià described the wines, which will be auctioned in Hong Kong on 3 April and in New York on 26 April "as an exceptional and unique collection." He said in a statement that after elBulli transformed from a restaurant to a foundation: "We decided this very special and personal collection should be used to make a founding contribution to help ensure the successful launch of the elBulliFoundation."
The wine cellar was created by elBulli director Juli Soler, who was instrumental in bringing Adrià to the restaurant, founded 50 years ago.
Highlights of the sale include 2,000 bottles of Spanish wine, including six vintages of Vega Sicilia "Unico" from 1987 to 1996, 415 bottles of Chateau de Beaucastel, as well as full cases of bottles and magnums of Chateau Latour 2005 and three bottles of Domaine de la Romanee Conti, Romanee Conti 1990, which have a pre-sale estimate of $32,500 to $47,500.
The elBulliFoundation will focus on creativity and the study of innovative food processes.