Imperial Wines of London
Wine enthusiasts come in all shapes and sizes, with a multitude of preferences when it comes to taste; according to Imperial Wines of London, this includes those who never let more than a sip pass their lips, but instead view their wine bottles as an investment.
Whether you consider yourself a connoisseur or are content with a basic bottle of red from the supermarket, it's likely that you've heard that some of the finest wines in the world come from the French region of Bordeaux. Imperial Wines of London say that the most well known Bordeaux vineyard is Chateau Lafite, which produces some of the most expensive wine in Europe, with one particular wine, a 1787 vintage, being sold for more than £100,000. However, it's not just the ludicrously wealthy that buy fine wine; Imperial Wines of London point out that there is a growing number of people who are beginning to realise that fine wine is a wise investment, often producing spectacular returns.
Tired of the stock market's instability, more and more people are turning to wine, as low risk, secure investment which typically produces returns of ten percent each year, and often up to one hundred percent over the course of five years. Imperial Wines of London say that fine wine investments have consistently outperformed commodities, stocks and bonds since the 1980's, with none of the volatility which has plagued so many other markets. Statistics show that eighty percent of investors repeat their purchase on maturity.
So how do wine investments work, you might wonder? Well, when a few cases of fine wines are ready to be auctioned to buyers all over the world, organisations such as the Wine Investment Fund purchase the top Bordeaux wines, the supply of which is limited as a result of each chateaux fixed borders. These purchases, Imperial Wines of London say, are then transported to climate controlled wine warehouses, where they are left to mature for about five years or so. The stocks then increase in value, as the global supply of wine decreases. These wines are insured, to protect investors from unforeseen disasters. Investors then simply watch the progress of their investments on the Fine Wine Exchange, until the time where their cases reach maturity and a return can be made.