Wine Market Journal and K&L Wine Merchants Announce Partnership as the Collectable Wine Market Continues to Thrive

VANCOUVER, Wash., Aug. 26, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — First Growth Technologies, Inc, publisher of The Wine Market Journal, the gold standard for rare wine values, announced today that it has entered into a partnership with K&L Wine Merchants, a leading wine retailer and online auction house, to provide the company with automated access to The Wine Market Journal’s comprehensive data set of all rare wine auction trades in the world.

While broader wine and spirits sales face persistent headwinds, the fine and collectible wine market continues to demonstrate exceptional resilience, outperforming mainstream retail segments and drawing increased interest from global investors. This divergence highlights a critical shift: high-end buyers are increasingly viewing fine wine not just as a luxury product, but as a dynamic alternative asset class. In this evolving market, seamless access to reliable pricing data and trusted secondary trading channels is essential. The strategic partnership between K&L and Wine Market Journal directly addresses this need, combining real-time auction analytics with premium retail access to bring greater transparency, liquidity, and confidence to collectors navigating today’s premium market.

“K&L approached us looking for a solution that would give them a competitive edge in an ever evolving wine market,” said Matthew Coelho, Vice President of First Growth Technologies. “After exploring a number of options, we determined that a customized data feed tailored to K&L’s specific needs would be the most effective solution. Now, K&L’s appraisal software can automatically access the most comprehensive data available in the market.”

“This partnership unites two leaders dedicated to giving consumers, collectors, and investors better access to fine wine and spirits data,” said David Parker, owner of First Growth Technologies, Benchmark Wine Group, and Brentwood Auctions. “By combining our reach and insights, we are making rare wine market information more transparent and accessible, ultimately driving appreciation and growth for the entire collecting community.”

The Wine Market Journal’s Premier data set, including its extensive database of wine scores, retail transactions, and comprehensive transaction history from 36 online and live auction venues worldwide, is available to members of The National Association of Wine Retailers members at a special rate.

About First Growth Technologies
After acquiring The Wine Market Journal in 2002 and being spun off from Benchmark Wine Group in 2009 to focus on data and technology for rare products in the alcoholic beverage space, First Growth Technologies dramatically expanded The Wine Market Journal to cover virtually all trades of rare wine at live and online auctions worldwide, as well as retail trades and scores. In 2022, the company launched Spirits Market Journal to track the value of virtually all rare spirits traded at auction, both online and live, worldwide. First Growth also supplies wine appraisal software and data to Benchmark Wine Group, Benchmark Wine and Spirits, and non-affiliated retailers, and oversees the technology behind Brentwood Auctions.

About The Wine Market Journal
The Wine Market Journal is the gold standard for secondary-market rare wine valuation, tracking trades at nearly every significant wine auction, live and online. With over eight million trades recorded, no other resource comes close. It is the most trusted valuation authority for top auction houses, rare wine retailers, collectors and investors.

Contact:

Finn Partners
benchmarkwine@finnpartners.com