We estimate it costs $16 to $50 to make one bottle. The biggest part of that: money tied up while it ages.

Where the money goes

Money tied up while it ages$2–$13
Bottle, cork, label and box$4–$10
The land the vines grow on$4–$9
Running the winery$2–$5
Ageing it in the cellar$2–$5
Making the wine$2–$4
Farming the vines for a year$2–$3
Oak barrels$0–$0

The cost of one bottle, at the winery door. Our models are built in US dollars and shown in your chosen currency. The shop price comes later, after the merchant, the importer, the shop and the taxman have each added their share.

A winery that buys its grapes instead of owning the land would spend $19–$49 a bottle.

Why the bottle sells for more

There is no more land. A famous vineyard cannot get any bigger, however many people want the wine.
The name. Decades of reputation, which buyers are willing to pay for.
Time. With an older bottle you are paying someone for the years they stored it.
Everyone in between. The merchant, the importer and the shop each add a margin.
More buyers than bottles. The same number of bottles every year, and the whole world wanting them.

The numbers we used

The winery we pictured: A vintage or top non-vintage Champagne from purchased and estate fruit with 3–5 years on lees.

What	Low	High	Unit	Source
Bottling	0.40	0.90	USD/bottle	Bottling line quotes
Case and packaging	1.00	3.50	USD/bottle	Supplier price lists
Aging before release	3.00	5.00	years	AOC minimum 36 months for vintage
Uses per barrel before sale	5.00	10	uses	Corkonomics assumption
Yield	60	75	hl/ha	Comité Champagne
New French oak barrel	900	1,300	USD/barrel	Cooperage price lists 2025
Evaporation, topping and losses	0.03	0.06	share	Corkonomics assumption
Share of new oak	0.00	0.10	share	Producer technical notes
Financing over the aging period	0.04	0.07	rate	Corkonomics assumption
Cost of capital applied to land	0.03	0.05	rate	Corkonomics assumption
Bottle, closure, capsule, label	2.50	6.00	USD/bottle	Supplier price lists
Vineyard land value (imputed at a cost of capital, not purchased)	1,150,000	1,320,000	USD/ha	SAFER 2024
Grape price (purchased-fruit route)	6.00	8.20	USD/kg	Comité Champagne reference prices
Vineyard farming cost	12,000	20,000	USD/ha/year	Comité references
Hand harvest and sorting	3,000	5,000	USD/ha	Comité references
Winery overhead (staff, insurance, compliance, depreciation)	2.00	5.00	USD/bottle	Corkonomics assumption
Cellar space, topping, monitoring	0.50	1.00	USD/bottle/year	Corkonomics assumption
Winemaking and cellar labour	2.00	4.00	USD/bottle	Corkonomics assumption