Wine as an investment
June 3, 2008 – 9:37 amInvesting in fine wine might seem extremely odd to some, especially if you can’t imagine paying hundreds if not thousands of dollars just to own a few bottles. Nevertheless, the real question you should be asking is this: Could fine wine really prove to be a sound investment and can a person earn a nice profit from selling it?
One thing is for sure, demand for wine is constantly rising. Out of the entire global wine production only a select few established brands produce what could be considered a fine wine worthy of mention. Together with an ever increasing number of Asian millionaires extremely affectionate of expensive wines, all the necessaries ingredients required to conjure a very lucrative investment have been accounted for. It should be no surprise to learn that over the years, wine investments have outperformed blue chip shares.
As an investment, it´s always preferable to buy a young wine and wait for it to mature at which time it could be sold for a hefty premium. Older wines are considerably more expensive and if an investment is contemplated correctly a good batch has been known to produce a 500% return. As a rule Premium wines from the best vintage and most prized producers always do better in terms of return on investment.
The negative aspect of the whole ordeal is that you won’t make a huge profit over night. A wine normally takes around 10 to 15 years to mature at which time the investment will return the most profit when sold. Another important aspect to maintain in mind is that wine is a perishable commodity that requires special attention. If you fail to store it correctly or sell it when the time is just right, the wine could eventually be practically worthless.
For novices, the rule of thumb is that when investing in wine, seek the expertise of a reputable broker or you are going to get burned severely. Unfortunately, the wine market is still a bit green and you will encounter more than a fair share of dodgy traders that could lead you to a wide of the mark investment. Reputable merchants offer the safest bet and the best part is that most have developed some sort of online presence providing up-to-date information together with informative suggestions on which wines to invest. Using these trusted services investing in wine has become extremely simple and rewarding.