Fine Wines - 1787 Chateau Lafite
The price of the fine wines depend on multiple factors, including quality, which in turn depends on the weather, principally the amount of sunshine bestowed on the grapes. In Europe, 2000 and 2005 were excellent sunny years that produced wonderful vintages, as was 1787 apparently.
The price of fine wines also depends on the market conditions (fine wine market crashed in 2001 after a bubble but has since recovered), and of course the name of the Chateau.
There once was a time when French chateaux dominated the world's fine wines, and Premier or Grand Crus like Petrus of Pomerol, Cheval Blanc of Saint-Emilion, Lafite of Pauillac, Romanee-Conti of Bourgogne and Yquem of Sauterne still live up to their reputations.
But the French appellation hasn't changed for over two centuries, while many of the world's other producers have. Some Grands Crus ceased being Grand, retained their classification only by tradition and now face fierce competition from newcomers, including from Chile, Australia and USA.
The most expensive wine ever sold is the 1787 Chateau Lafite, originally bought by Thomas Jefferson in France. Jefferson's (see his initials on the bottle) 1787 Chateau Lafite sold in 1985 in London for $160,000, for collection of course, since even the finest wines turn into vinegar after a few decades.
The most expensive drinkable wine ever sold is the Romanee-Conti, whose 1978 vintage fetched $24,000 a bottle in 2001 in New York.