When it comes to investing, the old adage used to be that ‘there’s nothing safe as houses’ but since the bottom of the property market fell out so drastically, it is fair to say that this had investors scrambling for other commodities in which to invest – enter fine wines!

Buying wine is rapidly becoming one of the biggest investment vehicles for many savvy investors and, if this is something that you are interested in pursuing, it is a good idea to have a bit of knowledge about wine investment and how people make money from it.

It is well-known amongst investor that wine can offer some fantastic returns and it isn’t difficult to see why more and more investors – both seasoned and newcomers – are turning to wine investment in times of economic uncertainty.

Is Wine a Good Investment?

In short, yes. Wine is one of the best investments that you can make in the sense that demand is almost always going to outstrip supply (due to people actually drinking the wines). As with all forms of investment, however, there is that potential that fine wines will decrease in value but, on the whole, the fine wine industry is amongst the most stable. As such buying wine online from established merchants is one of the less hair-raising investments that you can make.

If you yourself are planning on dabbling within the fine wine investment game, then some of the following hints should help steer you in the right direction – but at least you can drown your sorrows with your investment if the markets take a turn for the worse!

Wine Investment Tip # 1 – Find a Reputable Merchant:

This is the golden rule of investing in wine – you must find wine merchants that have a reputable name within the investment industry. The principle reason for this is the fact that the wine trade industry isn’t currently regulated in any formal manner so it is imperative to choose a merchant that boasts a good and established reputation in the buying and selling of fine wines. 

Wine Investment Tip #2 – Buy Less, Earn More

Whilst this tip may initially seem contradictory, it merely means that you should aim to buy the very top wines in smaller amounts than buying larger amounts of less established wines. This is because these top wines have a much better potential for price growth and, as such, offer a much better chance of a good return on investment.

Wine Investment Tip #3 – Consider All the Costs

Investing in wine isn’t just a question of finding a wine, buying it and hanging on to it until it’s price goes up. There are all sorts of costs that you may not be aware of when it comes to investing in wine and it is important to bear these in mind to help maximize your ROI potential. Elements such as import fees, storage costs and VAT will all need to be factored in when you are investing in fine wines and an established and knowledgeable wine merchant will help to fill you in on all these factors when you are making an investment.