A Beginners Guide to Investing in Wine

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.