Yes, that’s right folks, Saturday is the big day. Looking to drop a cool $50,000 on a case of Romanee Conti 1999 Grand Cru? How about $20,000 on a single bottle of 2000 Chateau Cheval Blanc (OK, OK it’s an 18 liter bottle, maybe that helps).

On your mark, get set, spend: It’s the Sotheby’s Rare and Fine wine auction in New York, which I would have missed, save for a tip from the Luxist. Now if you’re like me, this is an event you’d attend only for entertainment purposes.

However, there’s an oft overlooked reason to go to these things, that most people don’t know about. You get to taste the wines! Alright, not usually all the ones they’re auctioning off, but definitely some wines that you’d never get the chance to taste unless you were rich or had a particularly deep cellar.

The Sotheby’s tasting in New York is tomorrow, March 17th, at 6:00 PM (prompt) at 1334 York Avenue, NY. It costs $75 and you need to make a reservation by calling 212.606.7050.

Looks like they’ll be pouring some nice ’89 Bordeaux, some Reserve Mondavi Cabernet going all the way back to 1974, a couple of excellent Rhones, and a grab bag of other things. It’s worth the fee.

If you’re interested in the auction, check out the Sotheby’s site for more information.

Here’s a link to the full catalog (PDF).