Business Traveller (India)

TIME TO MATURE

Investing in fine wine

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C onsidering the price increases of certain wines over the past 20 years, surely this investment is a taste worth acquiring? As background, wine merchant Justerini and Brooks quotes the fine wine market as having average growth of 13-15 per cent cumulative­ly per annum over the past 20 years, although recently the market has been flat or even fallen slightly – so buyer beware.

AN ILLIQUID LIQUID ASSET

There are a few things to bear in mind. First, although this is in one sense a liquid asset, in others it is illiquid – selling your wine quickly at a good price may not be easy, and you may make a loss if you need to realise your investment at short notice.

WHERE TO STORE IT?

Unlike buying fine art, which you can display at home until you decide to sell it, the chances are your wine will be held in a warehouse. This makes it like other assets in your portfolio – an invisible investment. Invisible, that is, unless you decide to store it at home. Wonderful for boasting to your friends, but you should really only do it if you are planning on drinking the wine. A form of appreciati­on, but not a capital one.

Why? Well, wine warehouses are not only secure but they also reassure potential buyers. When it comes to selling your wine, there is no doubt that it has been kept in the proper conditions, and it helps with any questions about its provenance.

If you do want to keep the wine at home, reasoning that you might drink some, make sure you insure it fully for fire, flood and theft.

WHERE TO BUY?

Deal with establishe­d, reputable merchants – whether famous names such as Berry Bros and Rudd, Justerini and Brooks, or members’ clubs such as The Wine Society – and make sure you compare prices, although it’s unlikely these will be significan­tly different between well-known sellers.

DURATION

Bear in mind that buying wine is going to be a medium-duration investment – a minimum of five years or longer – and that the price may well go down as well as up. Many of the price rises of recent years were supposedly driven by new markets such as the BRIC countries becoming interested in famous wine producers. Fashions change, however, as does political policy towards such“luxury”items.

OTHER COSTS

Factor in the amount you would need to invest to see significan­t returns, plus associated costs such as warehouse fees. It’s worthwhile either taking expert advice, or becoming interested in the subject – if you follow only well-known names you are less likely to see large increases in value. Discoverin­g an underappre­ciated producer with potential is a better way of seeing a good return. Such investment­s will carry more risk, however, so try to build a balanced portfolio.

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