LONDON.- Sotheby’s London 40th Anniversary Wine Sale concluded with a staggering total of £2,412,194, (US$3,787,145), far above a pre-sale estimate of £1,644,850-£2,061,620. All four sessions saw competitive bidding on the ‘phone, online and in the room and the sale was 99% sold-by-value and 98% sold-by-lot. Interest in the sale was international and buyers came from across the globe, with those in the Far East bidding into the night to secure their chosen bottles. This two-day landmark auction was held to celebrate 40 years of spectacular wine sales at Sotheby’s and follows an extremely successful first-half of 2010 for Sotheby’s worldwide wine sales. The very successful is testament to forty years of dedicated expertise at Sotheby’s wine department, and marks the start of the new season, which features a sale in New York tomorrow and four sales in Hong Kong this October.