Australia's Penfolds Releases $1K Wine

You can buy a single bottle of Penfolds for right around a ten-spot—or with about a hundred $10 bills, depending on which bottle you pick up. Australia's News Network reports that Penfolds today releases the country's "most expensive table wine," a 2008 Special Bin 620 that sells for $1,018 a bottle. It's the first time since 1966 that Penfolds has made the specific blend of Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz, reports the Wall Street Journal. A tidbit for history buffs: When it last made the red, the grapes were partially foot-crushed.

The launch location is making a bit of a splash, too: Shanghai. It's the first time Penfolds has released a new wine overseas, which a Penfolds winemaker explains is a reflection of the growing importance of the Asian market. A senior winemaker recommends holding on to Special Bin 620—calling it "balanced as a young wine, but [with] serious cellaring potential"—if you can get it. It's already largely sold out in foreign markets. (And speaking of pricey beverages...)