Collecting Q&A: Upside Down Label

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Peter D. Meltzer
Posted: February 27, 2009

Q: I have a 1989 M. Chapoutier Châteauneuf-du-Pape La Bernardine that has half its label printed upside down. What is it worth?

A: That particular cuvee is not in our auction database, but as a general rule, unlike a U.S. stamp that when printed upside down or backwards may become a valuable collector's item, wine labels don't seem to fall into the same category. Even a Chateau Mouton-Rothschild bottle personally signed by the artist who designed the label does not command a significant premium over the standard artist label. It's unlikely therefore that the upside down label will add value to the wine.

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