During the winter, most London auctioneers (拍卖商) have wine auctions. Some are of wines for (21) drinking, but most are of fine wines. Last winter, at Christies, a dozen bottles of Lafite 1945 were (22) down at ￡158 a bottle. 1945 and 1961 are the two most (23) vintage years for claret (红葡萄酒). Of course, that is not the maximum you could pay. Not (24) ago, an American at Christies paid ￡8,500 for one bottle of Lafite 1806.
Sometimes, it is a matter of personal (25) by the very rich. At other times there can be a (26) objective. Last October, a restaurateur from Memphis, paid ￡9,000 for a magnum—that is, a two-bottle size—of 1864 Lafite. He (27) 30 people ￡1,500 each for a dinner with a small glass of the wine. It was (28) ten times the cost of the wine in publicity for his restaurant.
Of course, some people buy wine purely for investment. On the other hand, a real wine lover will use the (29) value of good wine to pay for his own drinking. A syndicate of four will buy a (30) of Lafite 1945 at, say, ￡2,000. Each takes three bottles. Then each drinks one bottle, and keeps the other two to sell later at the (31) price as the three cost in the first place. That is, naturally, taking inflation into (32) .
But there is no (33) that a bottle of wine at ￡1,000 is a hundred times (34) than one that costs ￡10. Perhaps the top price you can pay for wine to enjoy for drinking is ￡100 a bottle. Above ￡100, you are paying for something (35) than taste.
31（）
A.equal
B.similar
C.same
D.level
