Featured Post – Top Places to Buy Vintage Wine for Investment

Posted by winesleuth in All, Featured Post | 1 comment

If you’re contemplating investing in fine wine, the most important decision you have to make is not what bottles you’re going to put your money into, but which merchant you are going to trust to manage your investment. Choosing a reputable expert might not be as straightforward as it first appears – there are many self-proclaimed wine investment companies out there looking for your business, but do your research first and only go with one who has an excellent reputation and proven track record. Investors should remember that there is no substitute for using the services of a long-established wine merchant with many years of experience. With London being the centre of the wine investment market outside Bordeaux, here is a short guide to three of the capital’s most well-respected merchants that could start you on the road to investing in wine and gain healthy returns…

Berry Bros. & Rudd

With their flagship store being situated on St. James Street since 1698, Berry Bros. & Rudd is probably the most famous London name in wine. Not only are they a wine retailer with an unrivalled reputation, but they also have an excellent investment arm that can cater for a variety of financial needs. Their Cellar Plan options are tailor made depending on whether you’re interested in planning for just pure investment purposes, or to combine this with future drinking. For a monthly payment, they can plan and manage your investments depending on your requirements, with examples including 2008 and 2009 Chateau Lynch Bages and the 2008 Puligny- Montrachet Hameau de Blagny 1er Etienne Sauzet.

Justerini & Brooks

Established in 1749, this is one of London’s oldest wine merchants and has accrued a reputation to match this status. They have long-standing relationships with suppliers and producer and can offering you exceptional brokering services along with your own dedicated account manager. There current En Primeur offerings include 2012 Chateau Cheval Blanc 1er Cru Classe and 2011 Chateau d’Yquem.

Fine +Rare

Although, being founded in 1994, this is the youngest of the three, Fine + Rare has now established itself as one of the largest and most successful fine wine traders. Based in London, but also operating out of offices in Hong Kong and Singapore, this company has a wide breadth and depth of listings that aren’t just limited to the traditional key areas of Bordeaux and Burgundy. However, their list still includes many of the biggest names in Bordeaux, including the 2005 Chateau Mouton Rothschild and from their new offerings selection, the 1998 Penfolds Grange from Australia’s most famous fine wine producer.

Like any financial asset, investing in wine is never a ‘sure thing’, but a well balanced portfolio chosen by, or on the advice of, experts could provide you with returns of between 10-12 per cent per annum. Harry Dawe-Lane, of Aon Private Clients says: “With potential returns such as this you’ll want to be sure your investment is protected adequately. Merchants will usually offer their own insurance policies for items held in bond however it may be more reassuring and potentially more cost effective to take out our own insurance policy for your collection. This also gives you the option to have an agreed value with the insurer which means you know you’ll get back the full value of the bottle or case should there be any damage.“