With fine wine showing some of the most reliable and consistently growing profit margins in the alternative investment sphere, it’s no wonder more and more people want a piece of these luxury-liquid assets.

The landscape of the wine markets is changing dramatically; worldwide wine consumption and demand has grown exponentially over the last four decades.

Whether you're relatively new to the world of wine or an experienced connoisseur, Oeno Group and Konvi are proud to offer a personalised advisory service for both newcomers and accomplished wine collectors.

With the main mission in mind to make luxury investments accessible to everyone, Konvi has initiated relevant strategic partnerships with key stakeholders to ensure that the best possible investment opportunities are made available to its community.

Our partner and industry experts over at Oeno share our mission and want to contribute by making fine wine investment accessible to a wide pool of investors, regardless of how much they know about the industry.They are proud to have recruited a Master of Wine to head our buying team with connections around the world and to be working with even more talented Masters of Wines as our Ambassadors and Anti-Fraud Experts.

Michael Doerr, Oeno Group’s founder and CEO, received the Wine Investment CEO of the Year Award by Investor Magazine in 2022 and is one of Spear’s 500’s top recommended Wine Advisors. Oeno has recently been awarded Best Global Wine Investment Firm for the second year running.

When choosing to invest in this profitable asset class, knowing who you’re investing with and what your investment journey entails is of utmost importance. So, here are a few pointers to get you started.

*Please note that this is NOT intended to be used as financial advice. Past performance is not a definite indicator of future returns. *

1. Set your financial goals

The first thing to consider before making an investment is your financial goals. Whether you’re saving for retirement, helping grandkids with their studies, or putting a deposit down for your dream home, getting clear about your financial goals will help direct your best course of action. For example, short-term investments (2-3 years) usually generate lower returns, so it’s a good idea to consider a mix of shorter, medium, or longer-term holds. Some wines will be more suitable for short-term holds, whereas others will show much greater appreciation over a 5-10 year period. It might be a good idea to trial a short-term investment for two to three years before committing to a larger investment for a longer period.

A good question to ask yourself at the beginning of this journey is, “how much can I realistically afford to invest?” Alternative assets such as wine do not offer rapid gains - you need to be in it for the long game; we’re talking two to three years, at an absolute minimum.

2. Do your industry research

Knowing the industry well is the best way to ensure your investments aren’t prone to excessive volatility. It’s important to research the performance of notable wineries and distilleries, the market’s performance and which bottles are most in demand. For those who love wine, this is probably an exciting prospect, and for those getting involved for investment purposes only, a knowledge of the broader market will help you spot opportunities more confidently and make sensible investments.

For wine to be categorised as “investment grade,” it needs to be of the highest quality, made by the most highly acclaimed producers. Quality is determined by brand recognition, resale value, heritage, critical acclaim and its potential to age well. As of 2022, investment-grade wine and account for only 1% of annual production.

At Konvi, education is at the heart of what we do. So if unsure of how the investment process concretely works out make sure to either check our FAQ section or consider reaching out to us directly through our communication channels.

You can also check our latest wine offering details in Konvi app and start investing from 250 euros.

3. Choose your investment firm wisely

Before investing your hard-earned cash, make sure you know what you are doing and who you are investing with. Wine investment is an unregulated market, so it’s vital you work with a portfolio manager or company that has an excellent track record and reputation. Check the company’s credentials and find out where they source their wines and where they’re stored. Trustworthy companies will be happy to answer all of your questions and guide you on which wines to buy to meet your personal financial goals.

If it seems too good to be true, it usually is. Typical annual returns from wine investment are 8-12%, so be wary of anyone promising fantastical returns without any hard evidence.

Not all wines are investment opportunities. For example, if you want to invest in wine, the most famous investment-grade wines like Domaine de la Romanée-Conti or Sassicaia can cost thousands of pounds. These “blue chip” wines can show 150 - 200% growth over a five-year period and are exceptionally popular among collectors. But there are also many undiscovered gems from emerging wineries from traditional winemaking countries like Italy, France and Spain, but also the New World; USA, Chile, Argentina and Australia. The key is to look for lesser-known wineries with a growing reputation and increasing demand - these are the up-and-coming superstars of the wine world.

Our partners over at the Oeno Group, have an experienced wine team, led by Master of Wine Justin Knock MW, offering great resources to ensure the most promising wine investment is chosen.

Have you checked out our community feature yet? Konvi Discover allows you to interact with other members that share the same interest of investing in high-yielding alternative assets.

Join now and share your thoughts!

4. Be aware of risks

As opportunists see the demand for rare bottles of wine rise, counterfeit bottles are becoming increasingly widespread. According to the world’s leading experts on wine fraud, there is currently around $4bn worth of counterfeit wine worldwide.

Keeping track of the industry is paramount, and always seek a second opinion on particularly rare expressions.

Oeno Group is one of the only fine wine investment firms to offer a rigorous assessment process to protect our investors from the increasing number of counterfeit bottles in the market.

Oeno’s first in-house anti-fraud unit works tirelessly to mitigate risk by implementing a comprehensive assessment process using techniques employed by leading fraud experts across the globe. Glass, capsule, cork and labels are checked against a database using state-of-the-art electron microscopes and professional-grade UV lights.

Following this rigorous assessment process, bottles issued with the Oeno Group certification are stamped with a unique label to prove authenticity. Clients are sent a certificate of authenticity as proof that their bottles are genuine. We are meticulous in our approach to protecting clients’ portfolios, so they can feel reassured that they’re in safe hands.

5. Secure storage

As with any collectable asset, efficient storage is essential for peak-quality maintenance. For bottles bought solely for investment purposes, the bottle shouldn’t be opened under any circumstances as this will drastically decrease the value.

Fine wines must be nurtured and stored in optimum conditions to develop and evolve to their full potential. Wine bottles should be stored lying down so that the wine keeps the cork nice and moist to ensure it doesn't dry out, allowing more oxygen to penetrate the liquid that would otherwise lead to oxidation faults.

Konvi investors can rest assured that their bottles are kept in a carefully controlled and highly secure storage unit - London City Bond (LCB) - ensuring optimum aging conditions. After your investment is completed and the investment project has been closed, our Partner Oeno will look for the optimal investment and after selection carry out the steps of storing the wine, so you don’t have to worry about taking care of anything.

6. Patience is a virtue

Investing in wine is not for those expecting a quick turnover. As with all investments, investing in wine is all about timing. For the best returns, our wine experts suggest that it’s advisable to wait at least five years.

Keeping a close eye on the market and tracking the distillery and winery performance, as well as the latest releases, will help you identify new opportunities. Predicting which distilleries will be popular in the future and knowing the ideal time to liquidate a rare collectable can make or break an investor.

Want to know More?

Check out our other articles about alternative investments. If you should have any further questions feel free to reach out to the Konvi team.