Alex Ferguson's wine collection up for auction

During 26 years at Manchester United, Ferguson raised a glass to many memorable wins and toasted countless vintage performances.Auction house Christie's is selling off part of Ferguson's private collection valued at a mouth-watering $5 million, with bidding set to open on nearly 500 lots -- roughly 5,000 bottles -- across three auctions running between May 24 and June 23 in London and Hong Kong as well as online."My interest in wine began during a scouting trip in France and, over time, my enjoyment of discovery and collecting grew," Ferguson, who retired in May 2013 after guiding United to 13 English Premier League titles and two European Cups, said in a statement."The importance of collecting wine was that it served as a distraction and gave me a balance in my life that helped me in dealing with the intensity and demands required of me as the manager of Manchester United."In retirement, I now have the time to visit the places and people that will feed my passion, so I felt it made sense to release a large number of the wines I had collected over the years. I hope many will enjoy exploring my collection."The lots span over a quarter of a century, including six bottles of Romanee-Conti Grand Cru 1999 from the year United won an historic Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League treble.Valued at between $84,000 and $109,000, the lot also comes with a signed United shirt from their Champions League final win over Bayern Munich 15 years ago."While Alex Ferguson's reputation and standing in football is renowned the world over, we are thrilled at Christie's to be able to showcase his exceptional taste in fine wine," said David Elwood, Christie's head of wine."This collection includes a roll call of impressive wines, including one of the most comprehensive groups of Domaine de la Romanee-Conti that we have ever offered at auction."It is remarkable to see that Sir Alex's talent of picking quality players for the pitch also extends to picking sensational wines for the cellar."An auction in Hong Kong will be held on May 24, ahead of a sale in London on June 5 and online auction that will run between June 9 and 23.(CNN)ANN.Az