2006

How much do you spend on an average bottle of champagne during the holidays? $30? $130? $400? High quality champagnes are labor-intensive and their prices usually reflect the quality and craftsmanship that went into them. Their prices also reflect the luxury lifestyle that is associated with champagne and what consumers are willing to pay for it. Forbes has a list of the most expensive champagnes of 2006 just in time for the New Year. Going by the list prices, the list includes:

• Krug, Clos du Mesnil 1995 ($750)
• Bollinger Blanc de Noirs Vieilles Vignes Françaises 1998 ($575)
• Dom Pérignon Rosé 1996 ($400)
• Salon Le Mesnil 1996 ($300)
• Krug 1995 ($200)

Nike must be jealous that Adidas got the official sponsorship for the 2006 FIFA World Cup, not to mention that they got to design the official game ball($130), because Nike has released a limited edition soccer ball "to celebrate the spirit of the World Cup." The white leather Futsal balls are decorated with an array of symbols that represent "diversity, behavior and skills shown by players," though Nike does not mention which symbol represents which player or skill. Any guess as to what the gnarled tree represents? Or the unicorn?

Only 64 of these balls will be produced and they will only be sold until the final game on July 9th, assuming that they don't sell out before then. Price: $225.

[Thanks, Dave]

Sotheby's New York Impressionist & Modern Art Evening Sale will be taking place this coming week on Wednesday, May 3rd. To tempt more sellers, Sotheby's has fixed the prices of more of the pieces up for auction, guaranteeing sellers at total of $253.8 million. The star piece of the auction, with a minimum price tag of $50 million, is Pablo Picasso's "Dora Maar au Chat," which is offered for sale by a relative of a Chicago businessman.

Other pieces include "Nu couché vu de dos" by Henri Matisse, "La Danse Grecque" by Edgar Degas and "Arlequine au Baton," also by Picasso, all of which have estimated sale prices over $6 million.

The Luxury Institute just released the results of their 2006 luxury brand reputation survey. The top retailer this year was Bergdorf Goodman, which edged out Nieman Marcus for the title. Finishing a close third was Nordstrom. The four main criteria, known as the Luxury Brand Status Index, used in the survey are exclusivity, consistently superior quality, ability to make customers feel special and the associated social status of the people who shop there. Other retailers included in the survey were Barney's, Bloomingdale's, Brooks Brothers, Paul Stuart, and Saks Fifth Avenue. The CEO of the Luxury Institute said that "at the request of clients, this year we added a critical referral metric, which was won overwhelmingly by Nordstrom, indicating that even those who are not customers are willing to refer Nordstrom to people they care about most." This is also a good indication that Nordstrom will be serious competition for the top two retailers in the future.

The Bulgari special edition Flower Sunglasses hit all the hot sunglass style points of the moment. They have black acetate wrap-around frames, large lenses and are loaded with sparking Swarovski crystals. The flower detailing makes them unique in the bling department, since many other sunglass designs this season took a more abstract approach to their ornamentation. Variations on the theme include glasses without frames and colored frames, like the pair shown here in Bordeaux. The lens shades vary slightly with each color. To get a pair yourself, look for a retailer in your area.