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A mysterious list. A hidden cellar. 40,000 bottles.
A mysterious list. A hidden cellar. 40,000 bottles.
In 1999, Australian wine merchants John Baker and Kevin Hopko travelled to Tbilisi, Georgia, to investigate an extraordinary collection of rare and historic wine. The cellar contained approximately 40,000 bottles, including 19th-century Bordeaux and Burgundy, hundreds of bottles of Château d'Yquem, historic Georgian wines, Port, Madeira and Cognac — with some bottles dating back to the 1700s.
The search for the cellar and what happened next became the international bestseller Stalin's Wine Cellar.
The Book
The Book
A remarkable true story of wine, history, obsession and a search that began with a cryptic list of legendary bottles.
First published in Australia, Stalin's Wine Cellar has since been published internationally, taking the extraordinary story of the Tbilisi cellar to readers around the world.
By John Baker and Nick Place
Inside the Cellar — 1999
Inside the Cellar — 1999
In 1999, John Baker and Kevin Hopko travelled to Tbilisi to investigate an extraordinary collection of wine.
By then, Baker had extensive experience as a fine wine merchant, having established several wine businesses including Quaffers Double Bay Cellars and the importing business Bordeaux Shippers. Hopko had worked alongside Baker for many years, specialising in the assessment, authentication and valuation of fine and rare wine. His principal role in Tbilisi was to examine the bottles, assess their authenticity and establish the potential value of the collection.
Over the course of a week, they examined and recorded a cellar containing approximately 40,000 bottles, including remarkable 19th-century Bordeaux, Burgundy and Château d'Yquem, alongside historic Georgian wines and spirits.
The inventory, notes and photographs made during that visit created an independent record of the collection as it existed in 1999.
An Extraordinary Collection
An Extraordinary Collection
The scale of the cellar was remarkable, but it was the age and provenance of the bottles that made the collection extraordinary.
Many had remained where they had rested for decades, covered in dust and largely untouched by the outside world.
Château d'Yquem 1847 — 1924
Château Lafite Rothschild 1877 — 1899
Château Latour 1874 — 1909
Historic Burgundy, including Montrachet 1965
Vin de Constance 1846 and others
Madeira and Port from the 1800s
Cognac dating to the 1700s
Georgian Brandy 1834—1966
Kvareli 1844—1946
Mukuzani 1913—1954
Napareuli Red 1918—1945
Teliani 1917—1952
Tsinandali 1918—1971
The Story Continues
The Story Continues
What began with a mysterious list in 1999 became a story spanning decades — involving extraordinary wines, disputed ownership, unexpected twists and a cellar whose history was far from over.
The full story is told in Stalin's Wine Cellar.
More than 25 years after the original visit, however, the cellar is once again attracting international attention.
What began with a mysterious list in 1999 became a story spanning decades — involving extraordinary wines, disputed ownership, unexpected twists and a cellar whose history was far from over.
The full story is told in Stalin's Wine Cellar.
More than 25 years later, the cellar is once again attracting international attention. In June 2026, access to the historic collection became possible again, bringing renewed interest in the identity, provenance and preservation of its remarkable bottles.
The story of Stalin's Wine Cellar is not over.
Where Are They Now?
Where Are They Now?
John Baker
John remains a passionate wine enthusiast and is the co-author of the bestselling Stalin’s Wine Cellar. After a career that included hospitality, music promotion and establishing several fine wine businesses, he is now involved in a range of other projects, including the olive oil business.
John Baker
John remains a passionate wine enthusiast and is the co-author of the bestselling Stalin’s Wine Cellar. After a career that included hospitality, music promotion and establishing several fine wine businesses, he is now involved in a range of other projects, including the olive oil business.
Kevin Hopko
Kevin Hopko
Kevin continued working with fine and rare wine after the Tbilisi discovery, including as a wine specialist for an auction house. While his professional career later moved into other business interests, fine wine has remained a longstanding passion, as has his interest in the extraordinary collection he first encountered in Tbilisi in 1999.
Press & Media
Press & Media
The remarkable story of Stalin's Wine Cellar has attracted international media attention since the book was first published.
The discovery, the extraordinary wines and the continuing story of the cellar have been covered by wine, news and broadcast media around the world.
Stalin's Wine Cellar Media enquiries
For interviews, original 1999 photographs, historical records and information about the cellar, Contact Kevin Hopko.
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