New Year Cleaning Surprise: Old Foreign Wine in Uncle Wang's Storeroom
A New Year's Cleaning Surprise: Uncle Wong's Vintage Liquor in His Storeroom
During the New Year's big clean-up, every household seems to uncover unexpected treasures. Some find red packets from ten years ago, others unearth old report cards from childhood. What about Uncle Wong? He found a pile of vintage foreign liquor in the storeroom of his Yuen Long village house, and he couldn't remember when he bought them.
"I really can't recall," Uncle Wong said, sitting on a rattan chair in his yard, speaking to his three grandchildren. "It might have been the 80s? Or perhaps early 90s? Anyway, either I bought them, or someone gave them to me, but if they were gifts, I don't remember who gave them."
The three grandchildren burst into laughter, finding their grandpa hilarious.
Storeroom Archeology
Uncle Wong is seventy-three years old and has lived in Yuen Long for decades. His village house has an underground storeroom, usually filled with tools, out-of-season clothes, and various odds and ends that he thinks he "might need someday." This Chinese New Year, his grandsons and granddaughter came to visit. After dinner, with nothing to do, they offered to help grandpa clean the house.
Inside the storeroom, in the innermost corner, were several cardboard boxes. Upon opening them, they found four bottles of foreign liquor, wrapped in newspapers.
The newspapers wrapping the bottles were all yellowed, but one of them still faintly showed a date: 1987. Uncle Wong's granddaughter took a photo and posted it in the family group chat, immediately sparking a discussion. The eldest son suggested opening them to drink, the second son said they might be valuable and should be preserved, and the daughter-in-law suggested finding someone to appraise them.
Two Brands, Two Eras
Eventually, the second son found Hong Kong Gold & Wine buyback online and sent a few photos via WhatsApp. We immediately knew there was something special – among the four bottles, two were Martell, and two were Courvoisier XO.
After an on-site inspection, we confirmed the following information:
For Martell:
- Both bottles were Cordon Bleu, but from different years. One was produced around the mid-1980s, and the other in the early 1990s.
- How to distinguish them? The most obvious clue is the bottle cap. The 1980s version used a metal screw cap with a swallow emblem pressed on top; the 1990s version began to use a design with a cork stopper and a metal outer cap, which felt and weighed differently.
- Another way to differentiate them is by looking at the country of origin statement at the bottom of the label. The 1980s version had an older French statement printed in a smaller font; the 1990s began to use bilingual Chinese and English, with a noticeably different layout.
- The back labels also differed – the 1980s back label was much simpler, basically just a few lines of French; later versions started to include more languages and nutritional information.
For Courvoisier XO:
- The two Courvoisier XO bottles were closer in age, both produced in the early 1990s.
- Courvoisier's bottle design varied significantly across different eras. The 1990s version used the classic round-bellied bottle shape, with a coarser line drawing of Napoleon's profile embossed on the bottle. After 2000, it underwent several revisions, with the bottle becoming more slender and the profile design also changing.
- The wax seals on these two bottles were intact, still a deep red color, with no obvious cracks – this added significantly to their value, as a cracked wax seal allows air to penetrate, affecting the quality of the liquor.
Uncle Wong's Reaction
After we explained the year and market value of each bottle to Uncle Wong, his reaction was classic:
"How much is the oldest one worth?" After hearing the answer, he turned to his grandchildren, "I should have bought a few more cases and stored them."
His eldest son immediately retorted, "Dad, you don't even remember buying these, you'd forget even more if you bought a few more cases!"
The whole family burst into laughter.
Uncle Wong later recalled that he vaguely remembered a period in the 1980s when it was fashionable among friends to give foreign liquor as gifts. You'd bring a bottle to a friend's dinner, and they'd bring a bottle to yours, and everyone ended up accumulating a pile. What they didn't drink went into the back of a cabinet, and then they forgot about it.
"Who would have thought back then that these bottles would be valuable today? Our generation bought liquor to drink," Uncle Wong shook his head, but his smile clearly held a hint of pride.
Tips for Identifying Vintage Liquor Years
If you've found some old foreign liquor at home that you don't know the age of, here are a few things that can help you make a preliminary assessment of its vintage:
- Bottle cap type: Metal screw caps are usually an earlier design (1970s to 1980s), gradually changing to cork stoppers with outer caps later on.
- Label language: Early versions often only had French (for Cognac brands) or English; later versions would include Chinese and other languages.
- Volume indication: "70cl," "700ml," "24 fl.oz" – different eras and different export markets used different indications.
- Date on wrapping newspaper: Just like in Uncle Wong's case, even the newspaper used for wrapping can be a reference.
However, the most accurate method is always to consult an experienced professional. Take a few clear photos of the bottle, cap, and front and back labels, and send them to Hong Kong Gold & Wine buyback (WhatsApp: 94530784). We can provide a free preliminary assessment.
A Happy New Year
Uncle Wong ended up selling three bottles and kept one 1990s Martell Cordon Bleu. He said he would wait until this year's Mid-Autumn Festival, when the whole family could gather, to open it and drink it.
"It's been thirty-something years without drinking it, a few more months won't hurt," he said.
The grandchildren are already looking forward to the Mid-Autumn Festival.
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Practical Questions about Buyback "New Year's Cleaning Surprises"
Q: Is it suitable to get an appraisal for New Year's cleaning surprises now?
A: Yes, it is. The market for foreign liquor is influenced by demand, preservation status, and the physical version. Getting an appraisal doesn't necessarily mean you have to sell, but it can give you an idea of the current potential value and prevent you from underestimating your collection.
Q: When appraising New Year's cleaning surprises, which details most affect the quote?
A: Hong Kong Gold & Wine buyback focuses on brand era, seal condition, liquid level, completeness of box and certificates, and rarity of the version. The more complete the information, the closer the quote will be to the actual transaction price; if there are flaws, we will directly explain their impact on the price.
Q: If I have something similar to the New Year's cleaning surprise, what should I provide when inquiring?
A: It is recommended to first take clear photos of the front, back, seal, or corner details, then provide information about the source, preservation method, and quantity. After sending photos via WhatsApp 94530784, we can make a preliminary assessment before arranging for in-store or on-site inspection.
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Want to know the actual buyback price?
To find out if your New Year's cleaning surprise can be sold for a high-price now, you can send photos, year, or source information to WhatsApp 94530784. Hong Kong Gold & Wine buyback will make a preliminary assessment and then arrange for a secure transaction.
