the Fine Wine Sellers blog

Along with oil, gold and stocks and shares, wine is a top choice when it comes to investment, and right now, there’s never been a better time to own a piece of the action.

Over the past 10 years, prices for some of the world’s most supreme vintages have hit the roof, gone straight through it and carried on, providing their investors with very impressive returns. This is largely due to the emergence of new markets such as Russia and the Far East, as well as which vintages and brands the highly respected critics say is the next big thing.

Although one must remember that wine prices can go up as well as down, wine remains one of the least affected commodities by the economic downturn and the market is predicted to remain buoyant for the foreseeable future.

Once you have decided that wine investing is for you – and it’s recommended that these investments are run alongside others in your portfolio – then you will need to know how, which, when and where, so here are some of our top tips for beginners:

• Select wines from the most well-known Chateaux
• Always shop around for the best price
• Only purchase wine from reputable merchants or investment companies
• Never invest more than you can afford to lose
• Only store your wine in a professional storage facility or bonded warehouse
• Reduce annual storage charges by buying a small number of high value wines rather than a large number of inexpensive cases
• Have patience – with a good vintage, prices are unlikely to settle before 10 years from bottling.

Most of us would see it as a real treat to crack open a magnum of Champagne, after all, it’s the equivalent of two standard 75cl bottles of bubbly and often comes in a lovely wooden box. But have you ever stopped to ponder why it is so-called, and what names are given to even bigger bottles of Champagne – those that are so wastefully sprayed over others by triumphant racing drivers?

The word magnum is Latin and in English means ‘big’ or ‘great’. Climbing further up the ladder of Champagne bottle sizes, you will encounter a Jeroboam – four times the size of a standard bottle, and the biblical founder of Israel who reportedly ruled for 21 years; a Methuselah – 12 times the size of a standard bottle and the oldest person mentioned in the Hebrew Bible, thought to be 969 years old; and a Balthazar – 16 times larger and the name by which one of the three wise men (alongside Gaspar and Melchior) is most commonly known. Melchizedek is the largest bottle, holding a whopping 30 litres, and is understood to be the King of Salem and priest of God Most High in the time of the biblical patriarch Abram. There are also many sizes in between, though these are much less common.

 It is clear that most of these names derive from biblical kings and other patriarchs of a similar high standing. However, frustratingly, the reasons why these names were awarded remain an undocumented conundrum. Dating back to the early 18^th century, one theory is that due to his supposed support of the people, Jeroboam was regarded as being a man of substantial value and worth, therefore his name would be a suitable term for the very expensive, larger sized bottles.

 Additionally, and just to confuse matters, some larger format bottle names may be used to refer to different sized bottles in different regions of France.

“Come quickly, I am drinking the stars!” – Dom Pierre Perignon

Dom Perignon was named after and produced by Benedictine monk Dom Pierre Perignon who if often credited with the invention of Champagne. This luxurious Champagne is light on the start with notes of coconut, cinnamon, angelica, cocoa and tobacco. This lightness develops into a full body of earthiness warmth and spice. Intensity develops into a rounded fruity and exotic taste with a dusting of aniseed on the palate. The finish leaves one with a hint of spice and toasted vanilla.

Our Dom Perignon is now on special offer at an incredible price of just £86.95. We have yet to find this cheaper anywhere on the internet. If you do we would love to know.

Order today to avoid disappointment – While stocks last!

Buy online here – Dom Perignon Vintage 1998 Champagne